Space Cadet
by Venus Smurf
Summary: Sasami isn't your ordinary cadet, and something is coming for her...SasamiKamadake
1. Prologue: Decisions

A.N.: Okay, this is my first Tenchi fic, so be gentle. I haven't even seen all of the episodes, and I was always a little confused about the story line, anyway. For this story, I didn't even _try_ to follow the T.V. story line. I still have most of the main characters, though I cut out Ryoko. (For Ryoko lovers everywhere, I apologize. I do like her; I just couldn't picture her as part of this story. My sequel, which is already in the works, will have quite a bit of her, though.) I sincerely hope you enjoy this.

**This fic was edited December of 2004. I did what I could to fix it, though everyone should keep in mind that it's one of my older stories and there was only so much I could do to improve it. **

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

"Space Cadet"

PROLOGUE

Sasami gazed out her window, watching the stars as they streaked past. _The stars really are beautiful_, she thought_. I wonder why I never noticed them before._ She was noticing a lot of new things these days, and most of them weren't as simple as scenery.

Sasami sighed profoundly. She was a princess of Jurai, but she'd never noticed just how stagnated her world had become over the centuries. Her people wallowed in their customs, never thinking to look outside their own planet. They were convinced that nothing outside of Jurai itself was worth experiencing. Sasami herself had spent her entire existence sequestered in the palace, shielded from the reality she so desperately craved. She'd believed herself to be trapped by her rank, but now she wanted to _live_. She wanted to break away from her royal fetters, see the universe. She wanted to share the experiences of every other being in creation, but she couldn't do that on Jurai. She had to leave, now, before her family figured out what she was up to.

Making up her mind at last, Sasami slid away from the window and began her preparations. It would take an astronomical amount of ingenuity and cunning, but she was determined to leave. She wouldn't say good-bye to her family, and she wouldn't look back.

A faint purring brought her back to the window, where a little animal had been sleeping. Smiling softly, Sasami picked Ryo-oki up. "I don't know what I was thinking," she murmured. "I could never have left you behind, Ryo-oki." The tiny creature gave a faint, questioning meow that only Sasami could understand. "I know just where to go," answered the girl answered. "They'll never find us." The animal meowed again, and Sasami shook her head slightly. "No, I won't leave a note. Somehow, Aeka would figure out where I'd gone just from looking at my handwriting. I know my sister will be worried, but I need to get out on my own for a while. I need to prove myself to myself."


	2. First Visions

CHAPTER ONE

Lieutenant Wyldon gazed narrowly at the new recruits lined up in two rows in one of the empty storage bays. They stood more or less in formation, but it was obvious that they lacked discipline. He shook his head in annoyance. _They get younger every year_, he thought with disgust. _They've given me children._

His eyes swept over the cadets in front of him, lingering on the few that seemed to have potential. One boy, a young man with bright red hair and purple eyes, stared cynically back at the lieutenant. _This one has spunk_, he mused.

Next to the boy was a second young man with intelligent eyes and a fiercely determined expression. _Another one with fire in his eyes. These two just might survive the training, if they're strong enough_, he thought.

Without waiting any longer, Wyldon launched into his standard initiation speech. As he began his patented 'you come as children, but you'll leave as adults', the launch bay doors slid open just enough to admit a slender girl in cadet black. The girl half-ran to the line, taking her place with downcast eyes. Angered, Wyldon stomped over to her, hovering menacingly in her air space. She stared at the floor, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. The eyes of every other cadet were riveted on the two of them.

"You're late, cadet!" he barked.

She flinched slightly, but she didn't lift her eyes. "Yes, sir," she answered in a quiet, almost timid voice.

"What is your excuse, girl?" he yelled, not bothering to keep his voice down.

"I don't have an excuse, sir," she murmured. "I was simply late." Her voice, though almost inaudible in its softness, did not waver.

The lieutenant stared at her in astonishment. Most cadets were so frightened of him that they could barely give their names, let alone coherent sentences. This one was profoundly different. "What is your name, cadet?" he demanded, his tone still menacingly harsh.

"Sammy of Mileld, sir."

Her words were lightly accented, but her command of the language, though obviously not her native tongue, was excellent. The lieutenant thought hard for a moment. Mileld was a colony planet near Jurai. In fact, the current emperor of Jurai had married a woman from that planet, but Wyldon couldn't recall any other details. Mileld was only one of thousands of colonies in that system. Still, from her distinctive blue hair, he guessed that she was from one of the larger of the colony planets. "Very well, cadet Sammy. As punishment for your tardiness, you will receive three extra hours of clean up duty. Report to the maintenance deck tomorrow after training. If I were you, cadet," he leaned even closer, bringing his face down to meet hers, "I would not be late in the future."

She nodded, but neglected the crisp salute that any other officer would have given automatically. He frowned, but decided to let up for the time being. He'd have plenty of time to push her into shape as training got underway. "All of you, report to the med lab for physical testing. Dismissed!" he barked, and the cadets filed out.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Sasami kept her lovely pink eyes on the heels of the cadet in front of her as the group marched to the med lab. She absently rubbed the scratches on her arms, the legacy of Ryo-oki's fear of new places and the reason she'd been late.

She didn't know what kinds of testing she was about to undergo, but she doubted that it could be anywhere near as hard as her experience getting off Jurai. In fact, if it hadn't been for her friends in low places, she wouldn't have gotten out at all.

About a year before she'd left, the peacekeepers on Jurai had apprehended a thief only a little older than Sasami herself. Though this boy was barely past adolescence, he possessed an abundance of skills centered around forgery, lock-picking, and street brawling. Only a few hours after his capture, Sasami had been playing a game with Ryo-oki in the dungeons below the palace. By some quirk of fate, Sasami chanced upon the thief in his prison. Though Mahonori was gruff and rude, she'd immediately been charmed by him. She'd spent hours talking with him, trying to get past his cynical exterior. After a while, the thief had gotten used to the aqua-haired princess, and he'd opened up to her.

One night, several months after his capture, Sasami arranged for his 'release'. For many months after she'd helped him escape, Mahonori would sneak into the palace grounds to visit her. They spent hours together, hidden in the labyrinth deep in the palace gardens. He even taught her some of his more useful abilities.

Sasami had used each of these newly acquired skills to creep aboard one of the cargo ships headed away from Jurai. Sasami had spent the entire journey from her home planet to the planet called Misox in a cramped crate. The second she arrived on Misox, the headquarters of the famous Galaxy Police, she'd used Mahonori's tricks to forge a fake identity and letter of recommendation for training as a pilot. She'd been accepted immediately, of course. The Galaxy Police had been experimenting with a new type of combat planes, and most people did not want to mess with such dangerous machines. They were unpredictable, and not many people survived their first experience with them. As a result, pilots were at a premium.

Sasami was abruptly jolted from her thoughts as the cadet in front of her halted. She slammed into him, eliciting a glare from the cadets around her. "Watch where you're going," the boy hissed.

Sasami shrugged apologetically. In spite of his anger, she immediately liked this intelligent-looking boy. He was tall and gangly, with mousy brown hair and matching brown eyes. She smiled warmly at him, and the annoyance fell away from his expression as he gave a half-smile of his own.

As the boy turned back around, Sasami glanced at the other cadets waiting patiently for the doors to the med lab to open. There weren't as many girls as boys, but every cadet had the same nervous expression on their faces. The only person who seemed unruffled by the upcoming tests was a tall, strongly muscled young man with red hair. He waited patiently, eyes closed and arms crossed. Sasami decided to follow his example, and schooled her expression to one of utter calm.

The doors to the lab opened, and a friendly young woman with pretty blonde hair gestured the cadets inside. As they entered, Sasami looked curiously at her new surroundings. Tables and medical equipment filled every spare inch of the room. One section of the room was siphoned off by large, man-sized tubes. "What are those?" asked Sasami in a low voice to the intelligent boy.

He glanced at her, and then looked back at the tubes. "Those are the medical scanners. After we're sealed inside, they'll fill with a special fluid that will slow our bodies down long enough for the medical technicians to scan for illness or injuries. The doctors will then be able to heal us while we're still inside the tubes."

Sasami stared at him, awed by the casual way that he spoke of the procedure. Growing up a princess, Sasami had always had a healer who could fix injuries using just the powers of the mind. She'd never actually been subjected to one of these tubes, and she was just a little bit nervous.

"Relax," whispered the boy. "It doesn't hurt much at all."

Sasami gulped, but nodded quickly. She didn't want this boy to think she was a weakling. "I'm Sasa-Sammy," she whispered instead.

The boy grinned. "Taki." He shook her hand lightly. "It's nice to meet you, Sasa-Sammy."

She grinned back, relieved that she'd made at least one friend in this cold, sterile place.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Sasami stepped into her tube, noticing that the red-haired youth was already standing in the tube opposite hers. His eyes were still closed, and he seemed to be completely comfortable as a slimy blue liquid filled their containers.

At first, Sasami started to panic. She tried to hold her breath, but she gave up as she noticed that the bubbles were issuing regularly from the redhead's nose. Sasami took a hesitant breath of her own, and was relieved to find that, while breathing under water was unsettling, she wasn't going to suffer from oxygen depravation any time soon.

Sasami closed her eyes, letting her body relax gradually. The pretty blonde spoke into a microphone, which relayed her soft voice into the tubes. "Just relax," she said. "This will be over soon. Don't be alarmed if you start to dream or hallucinate. That's a common side effect of the tubes, but the symptoms won't last once you step out. Close your eyes and enjoy it."

Sasami hadn't needed the explanation. She was already seeing visions. While she lay, peacefully suspended in blue liquid, the princess entered a misty dream-world of her own.

_She was standing in the palace gardens, poised just outside of the labyrinth. Ryo-oki was at her feet, looking questioningly at the maze. Sasami hesitated, but Ryo-oki ran inside. "Ryo-oki!" called the dream- Sasami as she hurried to follow her pet. "Wait for me, Ryo-oki!"_

Sasami ran swiftly through the maze, following glimpses of Ryo-oki's rabbit-like tail and ears. The two of them rounded a corner, where Sasami came face to face with her elder sister, Aeka. 

_ Aeka stood, hands on her hips, fuming silently at her little sister. "That was an awful stunt to pull, Sasami! We've been looking everywhere for you! The entire palace is in an uproar! You're coming home right now, and I'll not tolerate any more disturbances from you. From now on, we're going to lock you in the dungeon so deep that you'll never be able to run away again! Maybe next time you'll think before you act!  
_  
_Aeka latched onto Sasami, pulling her roughly by the wrist. "Stop, Aeka! You're hurting me! Ryo-oki, help!" But Ryo-oki was nowhere to be seen. Though she tried with all her might, Sasami was not able to free herself from her sister's bruising grasp. Aeka dragged Sasami into the palace, pulling her down into the dungeons. She tossed Sasami roughly into a cell, slamming the bars behind her as she stalked away, still fuming._

Sasami threw herself at the bars, calling her sister's name in fear. "You'll never get out that way," a calm voice announced. Sasami spun, spotting the thief that hadn't been there when she'd entered the cell. 

_Mahonori was perched on a chair, peacefully whittling on a bit of bone. Sasami ran to him, throwing herself at his feet. She grabbed one of his hands in an attempt to recapture his attention. "Mahonori!" she cried._  
_  
He lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Calm down, Sasami. Here," he said, handing her the little medallion that he'd been carving. The bone was shaped skillfully into a ring, and tiny symbols were etched onto the entire surface. It was as smooth as silk. _

_"I'm coming. We'll be together again in no time, brat," Mahonori winked teasingly. His body started to fade, and Sasami could no longer maintain her hold on his hands. _

_"Wait, Mahonori! Don't leave me yet!" But he was already gone. The ring had disappeared with him._  
_  
Sasami hung her head, weighted down by loneliness. When she lifted it once more, she found that she was in the labyrinth again. She jumped to her feet, running in the direction that she thought the palace was. _

_ Sasami was an expert at finding the exit to the labyrinth, but everything looked different now. Corners that should have led one place ended up in a completely different section. No matter which way she turned, she always ended up in the very center of the maze. Finally, Sasami gave up and sat wearily by the fountain in the middle. She was hot from running around, and the water in the fountain looked cool and inviting. Roses bloomed in abundance all around the fountain, and Sasami's heart started to return to its normal pace._

_As the dream-Sasami trailed her fingers in the fountain water, she thought she heard whispering. She leapt to her feet, searching frantically for the source. The whispers seemed to come from every direction, but they eventually settled into one place. They now sounded as though they were coming from one of the corridors nearby. Sasami waited, hearing the crunch of feet on the grass._

_A woman stepped into the clearing, and Sasami took a fearful step backwards. The woman smiled apologetically. "Don't be afraid, Sasami," she murmured in a quiet, musical voice. Sasami stared at her. The woman's hair was long and blue, and her pink eyes were wise beyond her years. Her forehead was decorated by the kishtaka, the birthmark possessed only by members of her mother's race. She was young, but not nearly as young as Sasami. Her face was pale but calm. Allowing for minor differences, this woman could almost have been her mother's sister. Somehow, though, Sasami knew the woman was not her mother's sister. If she didn't know better, she'd almost have said that the woman was…_

_"That's right, Sasami," the woman encouraged softly, and Sasami winced. Even their voices sounded alike._

_"How do you know my name?" Sasami demanded, though she already knew. _

_ The woman continued to smile. "I know your name because it is my name, as well. We are one, Sasami." _

_ Sasami grimaced. "You look like me," she acknowledged reluctantly. "But that doesn't mean we're the same."_

_The woman blinked. "I see that you are not yet ready to acknowledge your destiny," she said sorrowfully. "Very well, I will leave you for now. But you must be aware that time is running out. She is coming, and you must know and understand your abilities if you will save them." She turned and started to walk away. _

_Sasami ran after her, needing to know in spite of herself. "Wait! Who's coming? What is my destiny?"  
_  
_Sasami ran, trying desperately to catch up with the footsteps that she could hear in front of her. As she ran, she realized that the maze had settled back into its regular dimensions. Sasami was running in a circle, heading back toward the center of the labyrinth._

_Abruptly, Sasami re-entered the center. She stopped, gasping in astonishment. Moments before, the clearing had been vibrant with life. Flowers had grown so thick that the air was hazy with their perfume. Water had poured from the man-sized fish in the center of the fountain. Now, though, the flowers were all gone. The hedges that had formed the maze were dead, blackened as though they'd been burnt by fire. The grass under her feet was a brown thatch, and the fountainhead lay, broken and defeated, on the ground. Instead of water, mold and grime filled the fountain. The place smelled of death._

Sasami whirled as she heard footsteps once more. Expecting the woman from earlier, she was startled to find a second, blonde figure watching her with narrow eyes. This woman was nothing like the first. The first had been calm, almost gentle, but anger poured of this one like steam from boiling water. If the plants around them hadn't already been dead, Sasami suspected that the woman's presence would have shriveled them up anyway.

_Sasami stared at the woman, who glared back mockingly. "Who are you, girl? You have Tsunami's power, but you are not quite the same. I think I should probably fear you." The blonde woman's eyes hardened. "On second thought, I think I should destroy you and save myself some time and effort later." The woman lifted a hand, and a ball of energy appeared in her palm. She was about to throw the ball at Sasami, but a spitting Ryo-oki suddenly ran into the clearing, sliding to a stop between Sasami and the woman._

_Ryo-oki hissed again, shackles lifting in an anger that the normally sweet-tempered cabbit rarely showed. The woman frowned, and the ball slowly dissipated. "Very well. You win this time, Tsunami, but don't expect it to happen again." _

_She started to turn away, and Sasami let out a premature sigh of relief. Her breath caught in her throat once more as the woman suddenly whirled and tossed an even larger ball at Sasami's heart._

_Ryo-oki leapt into the air, intercepting the energy ball before it could hit the tiny princess. Ryo-oki fell back to the earth, her chest a smoking ruin. "No! Ryo-oki!" Sasami ran to her little friend, pulling the animal into her arms. She held tightly onto the little cabbit, crying out in outrage as Ryo-oki's body slowly faded away to nothing. _

_Sasami's arms closed around the air where the cabbit had been. She felt as though a lead weight had settled over her heart. Ryo-oki had been one of the few beings in the universe that had understood Sasami, and the girl felt as though her soul had turned to stone._  
_  
Sasami was so caught up in her grief that she didn't notice Ryo-oki's killer advancing as silently as the wind. Sasami looked up just as the evil woman lifted yet another ball of energy. The woman didn't throw the ball immediately, choosing instead to enjoy the sight of Sasami's deadened eyes. "So, now I have won."_

_Sasami stared at the woman. Ryo-oki had died to save Sasami. The princess couldn't let this murderer escape unpunished, could she? _

_Sasami felt the anger building up inside of her, threatening to burn her up in its intensity. With the anger came power. The air around Sasami filled with a blindingly intense blue-green light. The two triangles on Sasami's forehead, a legacy of an accident from her childhood, began to glow. A look of startled fear crossed the woman's face, and she lifted her ball, ready for the kill. Sasami wasn't afraid any longer. She could sense the power inside herself, and she knew that she was far stronger than this dream-apparition. She was stronger, and for Ryo-oki's sake, she would win. This woman would not escape her wrath._  
_  
Finally realizing the danger that she'd put herself in, the woman struck. Far from causing any damage, though, the ball bounced harmlessly off the energy pouring from Sasami. Sasami closed her eyes, letting the remainder of her own energy form into a beam of blue light. As the beam struck the woman's shoulder, Sasami felt herself being pulled away…  
_  
The glass encasing Sasami suddenly shattered, unable to contain the energy around the girl. Liquid and shards of glass cascaded to the med lab floor, taking Sasami with it. She crashed to the floor, knees scraping the tiling, hair falling around her face in a wet tangle.

She pushed herself to her knees, panting from the effort required of so simple an action. The lights around her body slowly faded, but the triangles on her forehead continued to pulse. Slowly, they also faded, leaving only a slight, seemingly normal girl in a black uniform.

All around her, the cadets were pouring from their tubes. Their faces held mixtures of astonishment and fear. Sasami glanced around, seeing only suspicion on the faces of her fellow trainees. She sighed, knowing that she'd lost any chance that she'd ever had of making friends with these people. She glanced at the redhead, but his face was, as usual, expressionless. She couldn't read his eyes, but she somehow knew that he'd seen everything.

Sasami tried to stand, but her body was still weakened from whatever had just happened to her. She fell to the floor again, but did not give up. As she tried to rise a second time, she felt a pair of hands pulling her to her feet. She looked up into Taki's face, and was overjoyed to see that he, at least, wasn't afraid of her. He grinned ruefully at her, and she smiled hesitantly back.

As she leaned on Taki for support, Sasami finally noticed the alarms blaring throughout the room. "Wha-what happened?" she asked her new friend in a tired voice.

He gaped at her. "What do you mean, 'what happened'? You did something that made your tube explode. The technicians panicked and called for security. You were glowing," he announced matter-of-factly.

The door burst open as he finished speaking, and several heavily armed guards ran inside, looking hard for the threat. A tall woman with blue hair pulled severely from her face pushed past them, scanning the room with experienced eyes. "What happened here?" she demanded, gazing at each cadet in turn. Suddenly, her eyes focused on Sasami. "You!" she gasped.

Sasami cringed. "Hello, Miss Kiyone," she whispered. Of all the people I had to run across, she thought. Why did it have to be Kiyone? She'll tell on me for sure.

Kiyone's face had, indeed, become even more furious. "My. Office. Now!" she spat. Sasami smiled weakly at Taki before she followed the irate commander from the med lab.


	3. Explanations

CHAPTER TWO

Sasami stood, her hands folded behind her back and her eyes focused on wall just beyond where Kiyone paced. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" she demanded angrily. "Your family has been searching the galaxy for you, and you've been _here_ the whole time! Do you have any idea what they'll do to you, to _me_, when they find out?!"

Sasami met the woman's eyes for the first time. Some of the power from her earlier confrontation must have lingered in her face, for Kiyone suddenly backed away. "What's happening to you, princess?" Kiyone whispered, her eyes as wide as saucers.

The fear in the elder woman's eyes killed the last trace of power in Sasami's face. She sagged dejectedly, and Kiyone heaved a sigh of relief. "I don't know, Miss Kiyone. I don't know _what's_ happening to me."

Kiyone came around her desk, standing before Sasami. She pushed Sasami's chin up with a gentle finger. "First of all, what are you doing here? Your family thinks you've been kidnapped."

Sasami groaned. "I wasn't kidnapped. I ran away." She blinked back the sudden tears in her eyes. "I was suffocating, Miss Kiyone. I wasn't even allowed outside my rooms any more. I had to get out before I went crazy."

Kiyone groaned. "You ran away. Gods, Sasami, that was _stupid_. Don't you know that your family has eyes everywhere? How long did you expect to stay hidden, especially when you pull stunts like that thing back in the lab?"

Sasami shrugged. "I just wanted to get away for a little while, to figure things out. I'm changing, Miss Kiyone, and there wasn't anywhere else I could go and still be allowed to be myself. I figured that I could hide out here, at least for a few months."

Kiyone ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, tell me what's wrong, princess. How are you 'changing'?"

Sasami looked at the floor, unable to meet Kiyone's eyes. "There was an earthquake back home."

Sasami seemed unable to go on, so Kiyone jumped in. "There hasn't been an earthquake on Jurai in centuries. The last one was nearly two thousand years ago. What's that got to do with anything?"

Sasami looked up at last, and Kiyone felt an icy finger trailing down her spine as she saw the deadened look in the normally happy princess' eyes. "I was supposed to be having an etiquette lesson at the time," she whispered, not seeming to care that her explanation probably didn't make any sense. "I was only a little kid, and I wanted so very badly to be outside, playing in the sunshine. I slipped a sedative into my instructor's tea, and then took off as soon as she fell asleep. I was just going to play outside, but somehow I ended up outside the holy room."

"The holy room?" inquired Kiyone with a raised eyebrow.

Sasami nodded. "The room where the sacred trees are kept."

Kiyone nodded in sudden understanding. The people of Jurai could live for centuries, sustained by the trees with which they bonded. In return for this expanded life expectancy, the Jurains protected and maintained the trees. Kiyone would know, since she'd been granted a tree of her own as a reward for her services to the royal family of Jurai many years previously. Both Kiyone and her partner, Mihoshi, had become virtually immortal thanks to the tree that they shared. Kiyone knew that not many people were given trees, and even fewer were allowed to see them. Her own tree remained in safety on Jurai. She'd only seen it once or twice, herself.

Sasami continued her narrative. "I wasn't supposed to go inside; I knew I wasn't. I didn't even want to, but it was like I didn't have a choice. Something was forcing me into the chamber, and I could hear voices coming from the inside. They were calling my name, telling me to hurry and find them before it was too late." She gulped, still expecting to be punished for entering in the first place. "I ran along the walkways, looking for the voices. I wasn't hurting anything; I was just running around. Then, the earthquake hit. I fell from the path." She closed her eyes tightly, fighting back tears. "I fell for such a long time. I knew I was going to die, that nothing could have saved me. I remember watching the ground as it came closer, knowing that landing was really going to hurt. I hit, and it did hurt, just not as much as I'd expected. I remember waiting for the pain, waiting for the darkness." She opened her eyes slowly. "I didn't have to wait long."

Kiyone stared at the girl in front of her. "Wait a second. Are you saying that you _died_?"

Sasami nodded slowly. "Yes, I did die. I'm pretty certain that I did, anyway. It was more of a sensation than true knowledge, really. I felt myself letting go. To be strictly honest, I didn't really care at that point. I was just glad that it hadn't hurt as much as I'd feared." She frowned. "I don't know what happened after that. One minute, I was dying, and the next, I was awake again. I remember standing up, wondering why I could move at all. At the very least, I should have been mangled, bones broken, something. I didn't even have a bruise. Instead, I felt better than I ever had. I'd always been somewhat frail as a child, but now I felt strong, as if I could do anything." She shrugged, irritated by her inability to put her thoughts into words.

"What happened after that?" Kiyone continued to stare, eyes wide. She'd known that Jurains had special abilities, but coming back from the dead had never been one of them. She would have believed that Sasami simply lied, but she knew the slender princess would never do anything of the kind.

Sasami shrugged. "I don't remember much after that. I remember running outside, where my mom and Aeka were calling my name. They never yelled at me for being in the sacred room. My mom just hugged me, but Aeka kept staring at me for weeks afterward. I think she knew that something big had happened. She later confessed that when I came out, my _kishtaka_ changed before her eyes. Instead of the two circles, I now have these triangles." Sasami pointed to her forehead, where two blue-green triangles graced the skin just above and between her eyes.

"Nothing else happened for a few decades. Well, nothing that I noticed, anyway. Nonetheless, I was changing. I knew things about people that I shouldn't have known. I found that I could read most people like books. I knew when someone was lying, and when he or she was being honest. I could even sense some people's emotions. My tutors noticed the changes. I knew and understood concepts that defeated even the most advanced of students. I remembered events in history as if I'd been there. I could explain the processes and purposes behind things that had confused my people for generations."

Sasami gazed out the window. "And that wasn't all. As time passed, I realized that I was even more different than I'd imagined. Like any royal, I can summon energy. Unlike the others, though, I have enough to blow up a planet with a thought." She stopped talking, thoughts still trapped in the events of the past few decades. "I think Aeka suspects. Once, when we were little, she told me that not everyone can hear the rain before it falls, and that I shouldn't let on that _I_ could. I didn't understand her at the time." Sasami shook her head in resignation. "She didn't bring the subject up ever again, and I'm not sure that she ever will. Like me, she doesn't want to delve any deeper than she has to."

Both women were silent for several long moments. Sasami was lost in her memories, and Kiyone was thinking hard about the facts that Sasami had just revealed. Kiyone wasn't certain how she should handle this startling information. Should she return Sasami? Or should she let the girl work matters out on her own? "So, what now?" Kiyone finally asked.

Sasami blinked, startled by the question. "I want to become a member of the Galaxy Police. I know that eventually I'll have to return to Jurai and face my past, but maybe the training will help me focus. At the very least, I'll have time to organize myself." She grimaced again. "It's like I have two people in my head, and both want control of my body. Sometimes they agree, and sometimes they share common goals. Sometimes I have to fight myself just to eat breakfast in the mornings. It's confusing, and it's hard."

Kiyone nodded in sympathy. "All right, you win. I'll let you stay here on the condition that you come to me when you have problems." She walked over to Sasami, laying a kind hand on the girl's shoulder. "You don't have to do this alone, you know."

Sasami nodded, striking the tears from her large eyes. "Thank you, Miss Kiyone."

Sasami turned to leave, but stopped when Kiyone called, "Call me commander. It'll raise suspicions if we're on a first name basis in public."

Sasami smiled briefly and gave the woman an impulsive hug. She fled from the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. As she rounded the corner outside the commander's office, she came face to face with the redheaded youth. He was lounging elegantly against the wall, his arms and ankles crossed and his eyes closed.

She was just about to pass by, when he suddenly spoke. "You left this in the med lab," he said in a deep voice as he opened his purple eyes. His face remained expressionless, but he held out his hand. When she hesitated, he grabbed her wrist with his other hand and placed something in her palm.

She opened her fist, staring silently at the bone ring from her vision/hallucination. "Where did you get this?" she breathed.

The redhead shrugged. "I found it on the floor after you left. Since it was glowing, I figured that it must be connected with you."

The young man turned to leave, not deigning her with a second glance. Sasami hesitated again, but then called, "Thank you." The man hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at her. Encouraged, she continued, "You don't know what this ring means to me. Thank you for returning it."

The redhead nodded slightly, and then continued on his way.

Sasami stared long and hard at the ring for several endless moments. Should she be relieved that her experience in the labyrinth was not a hallucination, or should she be afraid of this bit of proof? Having the ring meant that the blonde woman might also be real. _Do _I_ know what this ring means?_ _Mahonori wouldn't have given it to me if it was dangerous, would he? Then again, was that even Mahonori?_ Making up her mind, she slipped it onto her finger, reveling in the smooth feel of the bone on her skin. She continued to gaze at the ring, and she could have sworn that in the dim light of the hallway, the runes carved into the surface winked at her.

Usual disclaimers, blah, blah, blah. (At least I remembered!)


	4. Washu

CHAPTER THREE

Sasami slipped, shadow-like, into the mess hall. She should have arrived with her other year-mates, but she'd been late because Ryo-oki was still acting up. The little cabbit didn't like being left in Sasami's rooms all the time, and she didn't like the fact that Sasami wasn't always with her. Still, pets were not allowed in the dorms, and Sasami had to keep her friend hidden.

Sasami entered the serving line, filling her tray with the unidentifiable, nutritious lumps that passed for food in this place. She glanced around, looking for an empty seat. Finally, she spotted the table designated for the new trainees. Seeing her, Taki lifted a hand in greeting and indicated the spot that he'd saved for her on the bench. She smiled and picked her way through the tables to join him. She sat down, pretending not to notice the way the recruits on her other side automatically slid as far away as they could go. Instead, she turned to her food.

"Blech," she commented, as she tasted the stuff on her fork. "This stuff is awful."

Taki looked at her curiously. He didn't seem to be having any problems with his meal. "It's just standard rations. I used to eat them all the time at home. Didn't you?"

Sasami thought hard for a moment. It was too late to pretend that she'd eaten the same types of food as a child, but she didn't want her friend to know that she'd had her own private cook. If he knew that, he might start asking questions about her back round that she couldn't answer truthfully. Finally, she shook her head. "No, I had homemade meals growing up. My _caretakers_ didn't want me to eat anything that wasn't strictly monitored for content."

"Your caretakers? What happened to your parents?"

Sasami shrugged. "They weren't around most of the time. They had to work a lot."

Taki took a bite of his own food, and then asked with his mouth full, "What do your parents do for a living, Sammy?"

Again, Sasami paused to think. She couldn't really say that her parents were the rulers of one of the largest, most powerful empires in the universe, could she? "Oh, this and that. I don't think they ever really specialized in one thing," she answered evasively.

Taki shrugged, seeing that his slight friend didn't want to talk about her parents. "My parents weren't around a lot, either. They're miners, so they spent most of their time off-planet. My sisters raised me." He laughed lightly. "Well, they raised me in the sense that I was fed and clothed. As long as I didn't set anything on fire, they didn't really care what I did. I ran around wild for most of my early life."

Sasami smiled wistfully. "I envy you," she said, twirling her fork in her food. "My parents were obsessed with etiquette and propriety. I spent most of my time with tutors. I didn't often get to go outside."

Taki nodded sagely. "Ah, so that's why you came here. You were running away, weren't you?"

Sasami nodded slowly. _Me and my big mouth_, she thought angrily at herself. "In more ways than one," she answered simply.

Sasami focused on her food, glancing up only when the redheaded man from earlier entered the room. She nudged Taki. "What's his story?" she asked. "He seems so serious."

Taki followed her eyes, looking to see who she was referring to. "Kamadake? We don't really know much about him. He's kind of reticent." Sasami rolled her eyes. 'Reticent' was an understatement. "All I know is that he's an offworlder, and I'd guess that he's from one of the provinces of Jurai."

Sasami blinked, alarmed at the implications. "Jurai? Why do you say that?"

Taki shrugged. "He's got purple eyes. Only the people of Jurai have oddly colored eyes like that." He glanced at her, a teasing grin on his lips. "Of course, your eyes are much more strange."

Sasami blushed at Kamadake slid into an empty seat across from them. Like their response to her, the cadets around him slid away. Unlike her, though, they moved more from intimidation than fear. The redhead was frighteningly strong. Kamadake didn't seem to notice. He concentrated on his food, eyes downcast. Sasami sighed and returned to her own meal.

A few minutes later, there was a loud commotion outside the door. A trumpet flared loudly, deafening everyone within hearing range. The doors to the mess hall flew open, knocking several cadets to the floor. A young man stepped through, followed by several men in gray uniforms. Sasami watched the man curiously, intrigued by the subtle differences in his uniform as compared to her own. He still wore cadet black, but somebody had embroidered silver trim along its entire length in a skilled hand. The patterns were truly beautiful, as was the man inside the uniform. His hair was a glossy brown, and his eyes were as gray as the uniforms of his servants. His only imperfection was the arrogant scowl marring his otherwise handsome features.

"Who's that?" whispered Sasami.

Taki's face creased into a scowl of intense dislike. "That is Prince Dael. He's the future ruler of Misox. I sure pity the people when he takes over. Of course, his dad isn't much better. They're both obsessed with power and their social status. All Dael and his father want is an alliance with one of those Jurain princesses. They'd do anything to get a hold of one." He stabbed his fork viciously into one of the pinkish lumps on his plate. "I wouldn't cross him, if I were you. He has a nasty temper."

Sasami continued to watch as the angry prince sauntered into the room. Everyone that he passed nearly fell to the floor in an effort to bow to him. As the prince meandered across the room, he knocked plates of food onto the heads of the kneeling cadets as he passed. Nobody said a word to gainsay him, and they all seemed grateful that spilling food was all he'd done. The only two people who didn't bow were Sasami and Kamadake.

"Bow, Sammy, or he'll get mad!" Taki hissed as he knelt on the hard floor. Kamadake continued to eat, eyes still on his plate.

Sasami shrugged. She really didn't feel like getting her knees dirty and cramped just to appease the inflated ego of some snotty prince.

The prince didn't notice them at first, choosing instead to yell at the cooks behind the serving line. "You call this food?! I won't eat it! Get me something decent, or I'll report you to my father!" His voice, though smooth and cultured, was filled with harsh pride. Sasami didn't like him.

As the prince waited impatiently for his food, screaming at the frightened cooks all the while, one of his servants called for his attention. The prince looked at though he were about to strike the poor man, but turned instead to listen. When the man pointed to Sasami and Kamadake, the prince turned almost livid with rage. He rushed over to their table, his guards and servants following less quickly.

"Bow to me!" screamed the prince in fury. "Bow to me, or you'll be sorry!"

Sasami tried not to smirk. He sounded like a petulant child. Of course, even children have power, she mused. The prince grabbed a dagger from one of his men, pointing it at Kamadake's throat. The young man didn't react, so the prince pushed the dagger further into the redhead's skin. Finally, Kamadake stopped eating and set his fork onto the table. He lifted his eyes, and even Sasami was momentarily afraid of the look in his purple gaze. "I will not bow to you, sop. If there is a problem, I am more than willing to take it up in the combat ring. You name the place, and I will be there." Kamadake paused, letting this veiled threat sink in. "If, however, you realize that I am far stronger and better skilled than you, you can always try to kill me in my sleep. Be aware, though, that your attempts to harm me will not succeed, and I will be forced to extract revenge." His words were calm and even, and the prince backed away in sudden fear. Kamadake could and would carry out his warnings, and even the prince knew better than to mess with him.

Instead, the prince turned on Sasami. "You _will_ bow!" he repeated, as though reiterating his statement might help him regain the face he'd just lost.

She shrugged, still having a difficult time containing her laughter. "Why?" she asked, her lips twitching alarmingly.

The prince blinked at her. "Why what?" he asked, momentarily forgetting that he still had a dagger in his hand.

"Why should I bow to you? What purpose will it serve?" she asked curiously. Although, of course, people on Jurai had bowed to her when she passed, they'd never had to humiliate themselves by groveling on the floor. She genuinely wanted to know why the people on Misox had to be on their hands and knees like animals. Was there some function that such an action served? Maybe she'd just missed it.

The prince, meanwhile, seemed to be having difficulty breathing. "Because it will make me feel better!" he screamed.

Sasami cocked her head to the side, aware that Kamadake's eyes were still on her. "Oh, well, in that case…" Sasami faced away from the prince, got onto her hands and knees, and bowed…

…to Taki.

"What are you _doing_?" Taki asked incredulously.

Sasami smiled and got to her feet. "He said that bowing makes people feel better. You're my best friend, so I decided to make you feel better. You certainly deserved it." She smiled again, ignoring the prince as he ranted behind her.

"You're supposed to bow to me, you fool!" he shouted.

Sasami turned back to him. "But I don't like you. Why would I want to make you feel better?" she asked innocently.

Angered beyond all ability to endure, the prince stabbed at her with his dagger. Sasami employed the skills that Mahonori had taught her, sliding around the encroaching dagger and prince to slam her fist into the small of his back. The prince collapsed, having lost all of the air in his lungs. Sasami stepped back, fully intending to return to her food. Instead, she was forced to dodge the attacks of the prince's bodyguards. She moved around them like the wind through trees, kicking here, punching there, until each man was lying on the floor, gasping.

Sasami picked her way over the bodies, seating herself calmly at the table. As she picked up her fork, Taki and the rest of the cadets slid back into their own seats. Sasami glanced around, pleased to see that some of the resentment was gone from the faces of her year-mates. They still seemed scared of her, but she could see the congratulations in their eyes. They hadn't liked the arrogant prince any more than she had.

Kamadake nodded once in respect, and then returned to his food. Somehow, that simple jerk of his head felt better than having millions of people kneel to her on Jurai.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Training commenced shortly after the incident in the mess hall. Since Lieutenant Wyldon did not feel that the cadets were ready to begin piloting, they were forced to train physically. They ran laps, did thousands of push-ups, and demonstrated hand-eye coordination. After a while, the lieutenant made them run more laps, this time weighted down by lead carried in special shoes. Of them all, only Kamadake was able to perform to the lieutenant's satisfaction. After far too many hours, Wyldon allowed them to return to their own quarters to rest and clean themselves up. Only Sasami remained behind, having to work off her punishment from the previous day.

Sasami headed for the maintenance deck. Every sinew in her body ached, and she felt as though her head was as heavy as the lead from their weighted shoes. She dragged herself along, eager to get her punishment over with. As she entered the maintenance bay, she found herself in a very large room that closely resembled a hanger bay. The only craft in the room, however, was a large, odd-looking device that didn't look as though it could possibly fly using the fragile engines hanging in pieces from the rear. Standing on a precarious ladder by the engine was a tall, slender woman with flamboyantly pink hair. Sasami edged over to the woman, curious to see what she was doing.

The woman glanced up as she approached, and her eyes narrowed slightly. She shrugged imperceptively, and slid down from the ladder. Sasami shook the woman's hand, feeling her own flesh tingle slightly from the contact. There was something…familiar about this pink-haired mechanic, but Sasami couldn't put her finger on it. Instead, she smiled brightly. "You must be Washu. I'm Sammy. I'm supposed to work with you…?"

Washu nodded. "Ah, Cadet Sammy. I was wondering when you'd show up." She glanced at Sasami, noticing the tired look in the girl's bright eyes. "Knowing Wyldon, he's probably worked you to death. You won't be any good to me if you're exhausted." She blinked, and a small, semi- transparent keyboard appeared from thin air. Sasami watched as Washu typed furiously on the board. The princess knew that pulling computers from nowhere wasn't normal, but she felt surprisingly reassured by the action. _Maybe, I'm just glad to see that I'm not the only strange one around here, _she mused idly.

"There we go!" cried Washu as a little cupboard appeared by her head. Washu reached into it, pushing her arm all the way up to the shoulder, though the cupboard seemed like it could barely accommodate her hand. When she pulled her arm back it, she was holding a glass bottle filled with green liquid. She tossed the bottle to Sasami, and both the cupboard and the computer disappeared. "Drink that," she commanded. "It'll replenish your energy."

Sasami sipped gingerly at the liquid, pleased that although it wasn't exactly appetizing, it wasn't too awful, either. Surprised, she murmured, "Wow! I really do feel better!" She smiled happily at Washu, who grinned back.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

For the next three hours, Sasami handed various tools to the pink-haired woman, who kept up a steady stream of conversation. Sasami was relieved that although some of the questions came too close to home, she managed not to reveal any information about her back round. As the session ended, Washu climbed down from the ladder once more.

Sasami handed her a cloth to wipe away the grease on her hands. As she did, her fingers again brushed across Washu's. Once again, her skin began to tingle, and Sasami felt dizzy. She swayed, and Washu grabbed her sleeve in an attempt to steady the girl. Washu helped Sasami over to the ladder, where the princess perched precariously on the bottom rung.

"You okay?" asked Washu in a compassionate voice.

Sasami nodded. "I guess I'm just more tired out from training than I'd thought."

Washu stared at the aqua-haired cadet. "My energy supplement should have taken care of that," she murmured thoughtfully. "If I didn't know better, I'd have to say that you've been doing something more than just training. Have you been using any energy attacks lately?"

Sasami's head jerked up, and she stared at Washu with alarmed eyes. "No!" she protested. "Where would I learn energy attacks?"

Washu grunted. "Come on, Sammy. We both know that you're not what you appear. I heard all about that little incident in the med lab yesterday. Don't you know that using that much power will drain you for days afterwards? I am glad, though, that you managed to wound Tokima. She's been getting far too sure of herself over the centuries."

Sasami's eyes were as round as saucers. "How-how'd you know about that?" she asked in a whispery voice.

Washu shrugged. "She's my sister. I know when she's been injured. Besides," her eyes twinkled, "she asked me to patch her up, and I wouldn't. She's just a little bit mad at us both, right now."

Sasami swallowed. "She's your sister? Who is she? Who are you? Better yet, what are you?" she gasped.

Washu's smile died. "You mean that you don't know yet?" She snorted with disgust. "Let me guess. My other darling sister, Tsunami, didn't tell you what you are. She probably wanted to give you time to adjust."

Sasami pushed herself to her feet, fighting the urge to place her hands over her ears to block out Washu's words. "I'm sorry," she whispered, eyes wide, "but I have to go now."

She stumbled toward the exit, but Washu called out, "Tsunami, wait! You have to know what you are or Tokima will eat you alive!"

Sasami whirled, eyes flashing dangerously. "I'm not Tsunami! Do you hear me?! My name is Sasami! Leave me alone! All of you, including that psychotic sister of yours, can just leave me alone!"

She fled, not noticing the redheaded young man poised outside the hanger doors, a requisition pad in his hands and a startled expression on his normally impassive face.

Washu walked slowly to the door, holding her hand out for the data pad in Kamadake's hands. He blinked, confused, and handed it to the pink- haired mechanic. "Lord Wyldon wants you to check the survival gear. The new recruits are going camping in a few days."

Washu nodded absently. "Thank you, cadet." Her eyes remained on Sasami's fleeing figure, which could just be made out as the girl disappeared down the corridor. "Will she be alright, I wonder?" she murmured quietly to herself, ignoring the man beside her.

A.N.: I realize that the entire scene with the prince is a little corny, but this is just the way it came out…so get over it.

* * *


	5. Acceptance

CHAPTER FOUR

After the incident in the hanger bay, Sasami avoided Washu like the plague. She became religiously punctual, determined not to get punished that way again. Washu unsettled her, as did anything even remotely connected to Tsunami.

She began to have nightmares every night. Each night, she entered the dream-world that she'd found that day in the med lab. Most nights, she found herself locked in the palace, searching desperately for her family. She would run through endless palace corridors for hours, knowing that something lurked in the shadows of every doorway. Frequently, she had to run through puddles of blood. Sometimes she found bodies.

Every time her dream self passed a window, Sasami would see the labyrinth. The giant maze glinted ominously in the darkness, and Sasami knew that Tokima waited for her there. Sometimes, Sasami did end up in the labyrinth, and she would hear Tokima's insane laughter coming from every leaf and blade of grass surrounding her. At other times, she would hear the voice of Tsunami, trying to explain her destiny. Sasami often woke screaming.

One night, several weeks after the incident with Washu, Sasami found herself back in her dream maze.

_This time, the hedges and flowers of the labyrinth were alive and in full bloom. The sun was shining brightly. Everything was far too perfect._

_As usual, Sasami heard voices coming from the air around her. Deciding that fighting them would get her nowhere fast, Sasami followed them. As she'd expected, she soon found herself in the center of the labyrinth. Washu was seated on the edge of the fountain, gazing hard into the spray of water. She was dressed in a set of long, green robes, and her hair was pulled back with a string of what looked to be tiny stars. "Ah, you've finally come back, Sasami."__ Washu smiled invitingly, and then called over her shoulder, "She's here__, Tsunami."__  
_  
_Sasami let her eyes follow Washu's, spotting the tall woman with the blue tresses. Tsunami was dressed in similar robes, though hers were as blue as her hair. She was facing away from them, seemingly engrossed by one of the roses climbing __the hedges. Tsunami turned, a sad smile on her face as she faced the younger version of herself. "I think we should talk,"__ she announced without preamble. _

_"I have nothing to say to you," growled Sasami.__  
_  
_Washu spoke up, her voice stern. "Nonethel__ess, you must listen. Tokima is on her way, and you are the only being standing between her and the total annihilation of this universe."___

_Sasami blinked, not certain that she'd heard correctly. "What?" she asked in a bewildered voice. _

_Washu rolled__ her eyes. "Tokima is bent on destroying all life within the universe, even if it means that she, too, will die. She feels that mankind has failed, and that they shouldn't be given another chance. She has been gathering her forces for millennia, and she is fully prepared to strike. You are the only thing standing in her way."__  
_  
_Sasami gaped at Washu, and then murmured in a quiet, calmer voice, "Maybe you'd better start from the beginning." _

_Washu smiled triumphantly at Tsunami, who made an ugly fa__ce in response. "Please, sit,"__ Tsunami gestured to the fountain, taking a seat herself. _

_Sasami hesitated, and then perched gingerly between them. "What about Tokima?" she asked nervously. "She might attack me again."__  
_  
_Tsunami laughed lightly. "__She can't hurt you while we're here. Besides, you injured her badly during your last encounter, and she is not eager to try again."__ She glanced up at the setting sun. "We don't have much time. As soon as the sun sets in the dream-world, you must re__turn to your own. It is not good to spend so much time in a fantasy, lest the real world escape your grasp."___

_Washu snorted. "Stop being so ambiguous, sister. The girl's confused as it is." _

_Tsunami sighed. "It's a good thing that we're sister__s, Washu, or I could really hate you."__ She smiled softly at Sasami, who returned a weaker version of the gesture. "In the beginning," Tsunami intoned, and Sasami was certain that this strange woman was being mildly sarcastic. She continued in a norma__l voice. "There were three_ _goddesses in the universe. They were supposed to protect the mortal races from themselves, ensuring long and happy lives for everyone. For many thousands of years, these three goddesses maintained the balance between good and evil. They were powerful, and they were wise. As Washu would say, they were doing a darned fine job of running things."_

_A smile tugged briefly at Sasami's lips, and she noticed that Tsunami's mouth was also twitching._

_"This balance could not be mai__ntained. After many centuries, one of the goddesses became disgusted with the way the mortals were handling their portions of the universe. This goddess, Tokima, became infuriated, and she decided that the mortals had blown their chance at salvation. She decided that the only way to save the universe was to kill every sentient being."__ Tsunami sighed, grief heavy in her eyes. "The other two goddesses, naturally, opposed her. Tokima left us, choosing to follow her own path. Washu and I, the remaining godd__esses, knew that eventually Tokima would return to enact her terrible plan."__  
_  
_Washu piped up, determined not to be left out. "Since we were all members of a balancing act, Tsunami and I knew that we couldn't fight Tokima as we were. Our abilities natu__rally cancelled each other's out. We had to add a wild element to ourselves if we were to defeat her. In short, we had to become more or less mortal."___

_Tsunami continued, earning a glare from her sister. "Washu let herself be reborn into a mortal bod__y that she created. She still has all of her abilities, but she is no longer a full goddess. Her strength never lay in energy like Tokima and I, anyway. Instead, her power is in the strength of her mind."__  
_  
_Sasami glanced at Washu, and then turned her gaz__e back to Tsunami. "What about you?"__ she asked. _

_Tsunami smiled down at her. "Since my power was so similar to Tokima's, I realized that I could not just give myself another body. I had to become almost fully mortal. I'd always had a soft spot for__ the people on a planet called Jurai. These people were violent, and they cared only about their wars, but they had great potential. Their saving grace, however, was the fact that they revered, and practically worshipped, their trees. I sent bits of myself into their most sacred tree, giving the plant sentience. I used that tree to produce others. In time, I convinced the royal family of Jurai to bond with these trees. In return for care and protection, the trees shared their life forces with the people. In time, more and more people accepted these bonds as normal, and the power of Jurai was born."__  
_  
_Sasami nodded. She'd heard a tamer version of these legends before, of course, though hers had always centered on how the first emperor of Jurai had earned h__is bond with the tree. "What has this got to do with me?"___

_Tsunami sighed again. "It wasn't enough," she said. "It wasn't enough that my mind lay in a plant. My power still roamed free. Eventually, I was able to turn it into the ship your leg__ends call Tsunami. It floats just past the atmosphere of your planet, standing as the first line of defense against Tokima's minions."__  
_  
_Sasami gasped. "I've heard of that ship!" she cried. "Mama said it's just a legend!" _

_Tsunami shook her h__ead. "It is more than a legend. It is quite real. Back to the point, I was again faced with a dilemma. I knew that unless I became one with a mortal, I would not be able to retain the part of myself that constituted my soul. I searched for a likely candidate for a very long time. Just when I was about to give up, you were born. You had the raw power and strength of spirit necessary to survive a merge with me, and you had the heart to go with it. I waited until you were a little older, and then I caused an earthquake just as you were passing the room where my tree self was kept. I didn't mean for you to fall, and I certainly didn't mean for you to start to die. I just wanted to distract your people long enough for you to come to me. I'd forgotten that you were just a babe, and couldn't be expected to understand."__  
_  
_Tsunami smiled regretfully at Sasami. "I'm sorry for the pain that I've caused you, but you were needed. While you lay there, dying, I sent my soul into your body. We assimilated, a__nd now we are one."___

_Sasami leapt to her feet. "Are you saying that everything I've gone through, everything I've endured, was because of you?" _

_Tsunami shook her lovely head. "No, it wasn't for me. It was for Tokima. Tokima is one of the most__ powerful beings in the universe. There isn't a mortal alive that can so much as slow her down, let alone destroy her. I was the only one who could combat with her, but I could never have stopped her. You can."__  
_  
_"If she's so strong, how can I stop __her? I'm just a kid."_

_Tsunami smiled weakly. "You are no longer a child, Sasami. You've become a lovely young woman, and you carry the power of Jurai within you." As Sasami slowly sat down again, Tsunami continued. "The potential that I mention__ed earlier is the ability of the Jurains to channel the very energy of their planet. I have never come across a people with that unique and powerful skill. What's more, some of the royal family can even summon what your legends call the Sacred Wings of the Light hawk."___

_Sasami blinked. "I've heard of those, too. It's said that once in a thousand generations, a royal prince or princess will be able to generate these wings, which can become anything that the wielder desires. Other than that, though,__ the legends are more than a little vague."__  
_  
_Washu nodded. "Legends usually are. These wings can become a sword, a laser, even a ship. Frankly, I think Tsunami modeled her own ship after these wings. To get to the point, a prince of Jurai has been born__ who will wield a single pair of the Light hawk Wings."___

_Sasami thought hard for a moment. "There's only one prince of Jurai right now, but he disappeared centuries ago. I barely even remember him, and most people think he's dead."__  
_  
_Washu smiled.__ "You speak of your half-brother, Yosho. He's very much alive, though he's in disguise. He didn't want to rule Jurai any more than you do, so he fled to a planet called Earth. He married a human woman, and they had a daughter. That daughter gave birth to a son just before she died. This son, Tenchi, has great power. He hasn't realized it yet, so I've arranged for him to come to Jurai. At the moment, he doesn't even know his true parentage, let alone the fact that he's royalty."__  
_  
_Tsunami pi__cked up the conversation when her sister became silent. "He will wed your sister, Aeka, and their children will carry on the royal line. Jurai will become even more powerful than it is now, but only if Tokima can be stopped."_

_Sasami opened her mouth to__ speak, but Tsunami interrupted her. "The sun is almost completely gone. Return to your world, Sasami. We will continue this another night."___

_As the labyrinth around them began to fade, Tsunami called, "Do not fear the labyrinth, Sasami. Tokima canno__t attack again until the appointed day. Until then, we will protect you."___


	6. Ships and Sisters

CHAPTER FIVE

Every night after that, Sasami entered the dream-world for training. The goddesses never finished explaining the situation; they just told Sasami that she had to figure out the rest on her own. Sasami continued to train anyway, practicing her energy attacks and finally becoming comfortable with Tsunami and their dual identity. Slowly, the princess began to share Tsunami's memories. She still felt Tokima's presence, but she was no longer afraid of the woman. Sasami knew that when the time came for them to battle, as it inevitably would, Sasami would be ready.

During the day, Sasami's physical training also intensified. Since Sasami wasn't getting very much rest at night, she turned to Washu for energy supplements. Washu assured the girl that her green drink wasn't addictive, and Sasami really didn't have a choice. Wyldon jumped on her every time she failed, and Sasami didn't have the time or patience to deal with cleanup duty. Sometimes, however, Washu would specifically request Sasami's help. Instead of working, though, Washu gave Sasami private lessons in the new ships. Washu claimed that Sasami wouldn't have time to learn with her fellow cadets, but that Sasami needed the training anyway.

When the day finally arrived that the rest of the cadets would start to pilot, Sasami entered the big cargo bay. Parked in two neat rows were the new ships, sparkling and new. Sasami filed into her place, waiting for Wyldon to arrive. Taki, as usual, stood next to her. "Hey, Sammy," he greeted, and Sasami smiled at him. "Guess what I just heard."

Sasami blinked at him. For all of his intelligence, Taki was an incurable gossip. "What?" she asked.

He grinned. "We're getting a new cadet tonight."

Sasami stared at him. "This late in training? Who in their right mind would join us now?"

Taki shrugged. "Some boy from Jurai. He's supposed to be very clever, and very dedicated. I heard that he already knows how to pilot these things," he said with a jerk of his head towards the new ships.

"How could he know how to do that? There's only a handful of them in the entire galaxy, and they're closely guarded."

Taki winked. "They say he stole one of them, and practiced on it. When he thought he was good enough, he gave it back. I guess the commander was so impressed by him that they signed him up anyway."

Sasami's eyes narrowed. "What's his name?" she asked suspiciously. _It couldn't be…_

Taki started to answer, but Lieutenant Wyldon entered at that moment, scowling. "Okay, cadets. As you all know, we're starting your pilot training today. Everybody pick a machine, and get in the cockpit. A technician will be there momentarily to help you settle in. They'll explain all of the doo-dads, so listen carefully. When you're through, I want all of you to come back to me for further instructions."

Grinning ruefully at Taki, Sasami meandered through the line of ships. Washu had made her practice on every single ship in the line, but Sasami didn't feel anything special for any one of them. As she wandered through the maze of ships, she spotted the pink-haired genius gesturing wildly. Sasami ran to her fellow goddess, and Washu pointed to a ship that hadn't even been uncovered yet. "I designed this one especially for you, Sasami," Washu grinned.

Sasami was just about to pull the tarp off the top of the ship, when Lieutenant Wyldon yelled at her to back away. "Cadet Sammy! That ship is not an option. It doesn't even have an engine. Hurry up and pick one of the others."

Sasami sighed and started to obey, when something tickled in the back of her mind. She turned back to the ship, pulling off the tarp with a vigorous energy that surprised even her. She gasped as she caught her first glimpse of the new ship.

It was beautiful and sleek, painted a bright blue that just matched Sasami's hair. In gold lettering along the side was the name, Tsunami II. Though her training was limited, Sasami could already tell that this ship would be stronger and faster than any of the others. The entire ship fairly glowed with contained power, but Wyldon had been correct: there wasn't an engine.

"Holy mother," whispered Wyldon, properly awed.

Washu grinned. "Tsunami, meet the Tsunami II."

Wyldon gaped at them both, observing the cadet's white face and the mechanic's pleased one. "I repeat, cadet, this ship is not meant for you. It cannot be piloted without an engine."

Washu placed a gentle hand on Sasami's shoulder. "You can pilot it, cadet," she said as the other cadets gathered around them. "Start the engine, Sammy."

Sasami licked her lips nervously. "How?" she asked, eyes still glued to the ship.

"I designed this ship to respond specifically to your power. All you have to do is focus and call it."

Sasami nodded and closed her eyes. She forgot that her peers surrounded her; she forgot that she was still unsure of her abilities. She only cared that she was about to fly in this magnificent machine. She focused, feeling her power flow to the _kishtake_ on her forehead. The triangles began to glow brightly, and two answering triangles appeared on the side of the ship. As Sasami focused, the ship in front of her lifted off the ground and began to hover. Sasami opened her eyes, letting her triangles return to normal. Ignoring the stunned and jealous faces of the other cadets, Sasami started to climb into the cockpit. With a thought, the hatch slid open.

Sasami had one foot in the cockpit, when the prince burst into the room, still followed closely by his retinue. He glanced arrogantly around the room, and then focused narrowly on the Tsunami II. He sauntered over to them, addressing the lieutenant with a snide voice bordering on subordination. "I was told that somebody had designed a special type of fighter. I want it," he announced.

His gaze wandered over the hanger deck, eventually coming back to Sasami's ship. He grinned, eyes alight with greed. "This must be it," he said. His eyes wandered over the ship, eventually coming to rest on Sasami. His face hardened considerably, and his eyes narrowed. "Get. Out. Of. My. Ship," he hissed.

Sasami stared at him for a long moment. Finally, she shrugged and climbed out. As she set foot on the ground, Taki whispered angrily, "You aren't just going to give it to him without a fight, are you? Can you imagine what he'll do with power like this?"

A corner of Sasami's lips twitched upward. "He hasn't seen the inside yet." She smiled openly at her friend. "He can't fly it. Trust me."

Indeed, the prince had already started to climb into the cockpit. He slid into the pilot's chair, pulling the restraining belt over his shoulders. He looked around for the controls, but didn't find anything but smooth, unmarked paneling. "Hey!" he protested. "There aren't any controls in here! How am I supposed to fly this stupid thing?" he demanded angrily.

Washu was grinning openly. "You can't," she chortled. "You're too weak to fly something this advanced. You'd better climb out and let a real pilot try."

The prince's eyes widened with anger. He jumped out of the plane and stomped over to Washu. He lifted a fist to strike her, growling furiously. "What did you say, you pink-haired freak?"

Washu didn't look at him. She just yawned, boredom written all over her face. "I said that you should let someone like Cadet Sammy fly this plane. You aren't good enough."

The other cadets flinched in anticipation of the prince's anger, and they weren't disappointed. His eyes bugged out, and his face turned red with anger. "Watch your tongue, freak! You'll pay for speaking thus to a prince!"

Washu glanced around the prince's furious figure, grinning at Sasami. Sasami returned the grin. She wanted to laugh at the thought of this silly prince doing anything to a goddess. As the prince's expression became even more mad, Sasami just couldn't help herself, and she snickered very loudly.

Every eye in the room descended on her, and all sound ceased abruptly. The prince whirled toward Sasami, finally using the fist that had hung, threateningly, in the air during his entire argument with Washu. Sasami felt as though time stood still while the fist flew through the space between them. She knew that she should dodge, but something inside of her kept her in place. The part of herself that was Tsunami told her that she shouldn't reveal herself in front of the prince just yet.

Suddenly, time sped up. Something blocked her view of the prince's fist, and Sasami heard the thud of flesh on flesh. As the prince cried out in pain from the impact, she glanced up at the person standing protectively in front of her. Kamadake's face remained expressionless as he removed the fist implanted in his chest. "That's enough, sop," he announced. The prince's blow must have caused quite a bit of pain, but Kamadake's voice stayed steady.

The prince backed hastily away, cradling his aching hand. "That ship should be mine!" he howled plaintively.

Kamadake just stared stonily at the young royal. "This ship belongs to the girl," he said. "You will not touch it again."

The prince nodded and quickly fled. Before he left the room, he glared once at Sasami. Had she not been one of the three most powerful beings in the universe, she probably would have quailed at the sheer intensity of his hatred for her. As it was, she simply turned to Kamadake, holding out a hand that he didn't take. "Thank you," she said as she finally dropped her limb. He simply nodded and returned to his own vessel. Sasami sighed, deciding that she'd had enough for one day. Ignoring her lieutenant, Sasami left. The cadets parted to let her through.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Sasami tossed and turned on her bed, trying desperately for a comfortable position that would allow her to sleep. Finally, her eyes drifted closed and her breathing stilled…

_This time, she wasn't in the labyrinth. Instead, she found herself standing nervously outside the door to Aeka's suite. Sasami pressed her ear to the door, and sighed when she heard the muffled weeping of her sister. She knocked hesitantly, waiting until Aeka calmed herself enough to say, "Come in."___

_Sasami pushed the door open, tiptoeing lightly inside. Her sister was lying facedown on her bed, purple hair spread like a fan around her body. As Sasami came closer, she lifted a face red a__nd swollen from crying for hours. Sasami sat on the bed, stroking her sister's glossy tresses. "What's wrong, Aeka?" __she asked compassionately. She hadn't seen her sister in several days. She'd been too caught up with Tsunami's lessons to vis__it. Even on the dream-plane, her time was limited. As a result, she didn't have any idea about what could be hurting her sister's unbreakable spirit.  
_  
_Aeka stared longingly at her little sister, and then buried her face in her arms. Sasami waited until she'd finished sobbing, and then repeated her sister's name. "Aeka." _

_Aeka finally sat up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Yosho came back," she said simply, her voice and face heartbroken. _

_Sasami blinked in confusion for a moment,__ and then nodded slowly. Though her sister had never given any clues before, Sasami suddenly understood the trouble. Her sister had loved Yosho. _

_For a moment, Sasami couldn't distinguish the boundary between Aeka's emotions and her own. Aeka had been wounded to the heart when Yosho had left without even a farewell. Now that he'd shown up again, she was reliving every wrench of her heart, every tear that she'd shed when he'd disappeared. "Oh, little one," __Sasami murmured, forgetting for the mo__ment that she, not Aeka, was the younger sister. "It'll be alright. You'll see," __she comforted._

_Aeka shook her head violently. "It won't!" she wailed. "He's changed so much. He fell for someone else and forgot all about me!" _

_Sasami ope__ned her mouth to protest, but was suddenly struck by a vision. She smiled slowly, not letting Aeka see. "Let your heart be light, sister. The world did not end with Yosho. There is another for you."___

_Aeka stared at her little sister. "You're having__ a vision, aren't you? What do you see?" __she asked, surprising Sasami. _

_"You know about my visions?" she asked, her voice startled. _

_Aeka glanced away, nodding slightly. "I've heard you talking to Ryo-oki over the years. I know everything. It hur__t that you never came to me, so I just didn't bring it up. I'm sorry, Sasami. I left you to deal with things on your own. I was selfish, and I'm being selfish now. I don't really want to know what you've seen."_

_She sat up, schooling her face t__o its normally impassive mask. She turned away from Sasami, making for the door. "Aeka, wait. You're not ready to leave yet." _

_Aeka halted, but she still didn't turn around. Though Sasami couldn't see her sister's face, she knew that Aeka had st__arted to cry again. "There's nothing more to talk about. Please excuse me, Sasami. I have duties to attend to."_

_Sasami sighed and rubbed her temple with one finger. "There's something else, isn't there, Aeka?" _

_Aeka's body stiffened. "I d__on't know what you mean, Sasami. I am perfectly fine, and there's nothing more to discuss."___

_Sasami stood and came around to face her sister. "I've known you for far too long to believe you, Aeka. We were brought to the dream-world for a reason, __sister. Let's not waste what little time we have by playing games."__  
_  
_Aeka's face scrunched up, and large tears slid down her cheeks. "Yosho was married. Father said that the woman died, but she managed to have a child first. That daughter also died__, but she, too, was married and bore a son. Father wants me to wed this son so Yosho's line can be continued." __She threw herself into her sister's arms, sobbing wildly. "How can I marry Yosho's grandson, when I love Yosho?"__  
_  
_Sasami stroked her __sister's hair. "Oh, Aeka. Your love for Yosho will be nothing compared to your love for Tenchi." _

_Aeka pulled away, staring accusingly at Sasami. "How did you know his name is Tenchi? I never told you!" _

_Sasami smiled sadly. "I know many things t__hat I shouldn't."_

_Aeka stepped away from Sasami. "Sometimes I feel that I don't know you, Sasami. You're so different now." _

_Sasami shook her head thoughtfully. "No, I'm not really different. This is how I was always meant to be, I think. S__till, you haven't asked me about my vision."_

_Aeka perked up in spite of herself. "What did you see?" she asked hesitantly. _

_Sasami grinned and perched on the bed. She patted the spot next to herself, and Aeka reluctantly sat next to her._

_Sasami gri__nned at her sister's woebegone face. "I see you and a handsome young man with brown eyes that you adore beyond all reason. I see several beautiful, healthy children with their father's dark hair and their mother's mulberry eyes." __She paused just __long enough for Aeka to look impatient. Sasami swallowed her laughter, but suddenly became serious. "I see Tenchi's power. He is truly strong. He will wield the wings of the light hawk."_

_Aeka gasped. "The wings of the light hawk? No man has been a__ble to generate them in centuries! And you're saying that my husband will?" _

_Sasami's expression remained serious, though she was amused by Aeka's sudden change of attitude. "Yes. Not only will he have the wings, but so will your children, and the__ir children, and their children."_

_Sasami felt a familiar tingling in the back of her mind. She smiled regretfully. "I must leave now, sister. I will come again. In the meantime, be happy." Sasami hugged Aeka, and then slipped from the room. __She knew that her sister would be fine. Sasami had seen this Tenchi many times in her visions, and she knew that he was an upright young man that would care for and protect both Aeka and Jurai._

Sasami returned to her world with a jolt. She smiled softly to herself, pulling Ryo-oki closer. The little cabbit purred and snuggled under Sasami's chin. "All will be well," she murmured as she fell asleep.


	7. Possibilities

CHAPTER SIX

Sasami tried to stifle another yawn as she waited beside Taki in the cargo bay. Though the last few nights had been especially productive, Tsunami's training sessions were exhausting. At _least I had time to check on Aeka_, she mused. She and Tenchi seem to be getting along very well.

A nudge from Taki brought her back to the real world. Since they were still waiting for Lieutenant Wyldon's arrival with the newest cadet, Taki felt free to gossip. Though Sasami normally found his gossip harmless and interesting, she simply couldn't concentrate today. Perhaps her lack of sleep was responsible for the lightheaded feeling, and the nausea in her stomach. She hoped that Wyldon wouldn't make them train today. She wasn't in any condition for it.

Wyldon finally entered the room, followed by another figure in a dark coat and hood. Sasami's eyes were crossing, and she couldn't make out the features of the man behind the lieutenant. Suddenly, her eyes rolled up into her head, and she collapsed onto the hard ground. Dimly, she heard voices calling her name, but they were too far away for her to understand what else they were saying. The vision was too strong for her to fight.

_She was in the assembly room of the palace, waiting patiently for her father to pronounce judgment on her sister's husband. Though his wrists and ankles were shackled painfully, Tenchi stood tall and proud. Sasami glanced towards Aeka. Her sister stood to the side, closely guarded by a pair of men in the royal colors. Even from this distance, Sasami could see the pride and love on her sister's face. Tenchi may have been a prisoner, but his nobility remained obvious even to their hardened father.  
_  
_Sasami's father was speaking, but Sasami couldn't hear his voice. She blinked, straining for some inkling of what he was saying. Sasami concentrated, sensing magic in the air around her. A bright green light flared from her forehead, though nobody in the throne room reacted, obviously blinded by whatever was blocking the sounds. Her energy bounced fruitlessly off the shields--not of her making--surrounding her. Sasami stopped trying to break them, realizing that she was here for a purpose. She was supposed to learn something, but she wouldn't be able to if she interfered.  
_  
_As Sasami turned her attention back to her father, he brought his arm up and down again in a swift, definitive motion. One of the guards next to Tenchi lifted his weapon, firing through Tenchi's heart. Tenchi collapsed, and Aeka screamed soundlessly. She tried to run to her husband, but her own guards held her back._

Sasami swallowed hard, willing herself not to get emotional. Though Tenchi's execution was tragic, his death was not the sole reason for Sasami's vision. Sasami wrenched her eyes away from her brother-in-law's corpse, scanning the room for any significant detail. Her gaze fell on a man standing in the back of the crowd. Sasami vaguely recognized him from her childhood, though she could not place his face in any single memory. He was tall and handsome, but his features were marred by the insane satisfaction in his eyes as he gazed at Tenchi's body. The man's eyes left Tenchi reluctantly, moving automatically towards Aeka.

Finally, Sasami remembered the man's name. Kagato was a minor nobleman, the son of one of her father's advisors. When she and Aeka had been younger, they'd often been left at Kagato's family estates for safekeeping while their father dealt with the business of the empire. Sasami hazily remembered that Kagato had been around Aeka a little more often than was strictly decorous. Aeka, of course, had not thought anything of his continuous presence, and Sasami had been too young to care. Looking back now, Sasami had to wonder at the man's motives. From the way he stared at Aeka, Sasami was able to put two and two together to come up with five.

_Kagato felt for Aeka what Aeka felt for Tenchi. Still, Kagato's love had become twisted and sinister. From the look in his eyes, Sasami surmised that Kagato was directly involved in Tenchi's trial and execution. He'd obviously done something to get Tenchi arrested, hoping that Aeka would turn to Kagato for comfort. From the emotions rolling from the man, Sasami knew that he would have Aeka, whether she was willing or not._

Sasami glanced around the room, making sure that she hadn't missed anything vital. Finally, she closed her eyes, waiting to be returned to her own plane. When nothing happened, she opened them once more.

Instead of being back on Misox, Sasami was floating in the airless void of space. The shields that had become her silent prison still encased her, this time protecting her from the ravages of nothingness. Sasami knelt in her magical bubble, pressing her hands against the wall of the shields. She stared in astonishment at the dead globe that had once been Jurai as it floated in front of her. Her home had lost the healthy, purple glow that it had always possessed, and none of the customary vessels darted in and out of the spaceports. Instead, bits of twisted metal were scattered where the satellites had once existed. Her world was dead.

Sasami finally gave into the emotions that consumed her spirit. She curled into a fetal position on the bottom of her bubble, sobbing brokenly as a torrent of grief became as lead in her heart. She cried until her head ached and her eyes swelled almost completely shut, but still the tears came.

After an eternity of weeping, Sasami finally slept. When she awakened, hours later, she could see yet another dead planet suspended in the space before her. Unlike Jurai, however, this planet still had a single, tiny spot of life. Sasami's bubble floated to the surface of the planet, descending with painful slowness. As it touched the ground, the shields around her disappeared.

Sasami stood, taking the opportunity to look around. She was on a planet that, while clearly not as advanced as Jurai, had once been thriving. Now, though, buildings had turned to rubble, roads were as cracked as desert sands, and bodies were scattered like so much garbage in the streets. Sasami covered her mouth with one hand, desperately fighting the nausea that threatened to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, opening them seconds later to the sound of a girl-child humming a broken tune.  
  
_Sasami followed the music, hoping against hope that somehow something had survived the devastation. She found a child, dressed immaculately in a white sundress with a yellow sash tied around her waist. The child's long blue hair was covered by a white, also beribboned, hat. She was bouncing a tiny, yellow, rubber ball against the ground. As Sasami came closer, she could hear the words the girl was singing.  
_  
_"Mommy went and left me, because Mommy didn't care. She let my auntie kill me, because Mommy didn't care. Mommy wasn't strong enough, because Mommy didn't care. Everyone is dead, now, because Mommy didn't care."___

_The words sent a chill through Sasami's heart. The child didn't even need to glance up for Sasami to see the resemblance between the two of them. The child did look up, however, and Sasami stared into purple, lifeless eyes. The gir__l stared at her mother without recognition. Sasami gasped, horrified, and ran in spite of herself._

_Sasami ran for as long as she could, not stopping even when her breath ran out and her lungs and legs felt as though they were on fire. She halted only when she tripped over something hard and cold lying on the broken road. She lay still for several seconds, not having the energy to move. When she finally rolled onto her back, Sasami's eyes met another pair whose pink color was drained by death. Sasami screamed and jerked away from Tsunami's body. She didn't wait to look closely at it, wanting only to be away from this terrible place. She started to run again, but she couldn't get away from this awful city. Each time she rounded a corner, she came face to face with the body of a loved one. Washu and Aeka lay in pools of their own blood, while Taki, Mahonori, and even Kamadake lay white and immobile. Their eyes all stared accusingly at her, while the girl's terrible song echoed in her mind. Sasami continued to scream, knowing that this awful place would quickly drive her insane. "Help me, Tsunami!"__ she sobbed. "Please, let me leave!" But Tsunami was dead, unable to aid anyone.__  
_  
_Sasami collapsed, unable to take any more strain. As she lay on the __ground, the earth around her began to crack and tilt. Pools of molten rock bubbled up from beneath the surface, creeping ever closer to the immobilized girl. Sasami didn't move even when the heat grew intense enough to burn her skin. The lava crept closer, and still she just lay where she was, screaming until her voice grew hoarse._

The lava was just about to touch her, when Sasami dimly heard a voice calling her name. Though the voice seemed to be coming from miles away, she was able to latch onto it with the last shred of her sanity. The voice continued to call her, and she followed it like a drowning man would follow the rope that led to safety. She felt the voice pulling her away from the vision, but she still wasn't coherent enough to fully return to her own world. Instead, she let the speaker bring her back using his own power, yanking her upward through the clouds.  
  
_As Sasami started to fade away, the lava congealed into a tall form. Her tear-fogged eyes wouldn't let her see clearly, but she could just make out the blonde woman standing on the ground where Sasami's body had lain. Tokima stared up at Sasami, eyes thick with hatred. Tokima, too, faded away as Sasami reentered her own sphere of existence._

Sasami came to herself with a gasp. She felt as weak as a newborn kitten, and she could barely open her eyes. When she finally did pry them open, she found herself staring into Mahonori's worried face. "Maho?" she whispered, using her pet name for him out of reflex alone.

He smiled in relief, and answered in a soft voice, "It's okay brat. I'm here." She continued to stare at him, and he explained facetiously, "I told you that I was coming. It just took me a little longer than I'd expected to get here, that's all. For some reason, these people didn't want to accept a thief--former thief, anyway--into their school." He grinned. "I don't understand why, either."

The grin faded. "Sleep now, little one. Everything will make more sense after you've rested."_  
_  
Sasami tried to protest, but found that she simply didn't have the strength. She licked her lips, and then gasped out, "She's coming, Maho. You have to warn them."

He stared at her, though she could barely focus on him in return. The blackness was tingeing the edges of her site once again. "_Who's_ coming, Sammy? Warn who?"

Sasami stared at her thieving friend, wondering how he could be ignorant of Tokima's presence. Sasami herself felt Tokima's evil every second of every day. "The goddess of death," she answered, and promptly passed out.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Voices filled the room when Sasami finally came to. She still felt somewhat drained, but she was well enough to want to be out of the bed in which she found herself. As she struggled to sit up, a strong hand pushed her back onto the pillows. Sasami glanced up, startled to see Kamadake. "What happened?" she whispered. She had to know what her fellow cadets had seen. Perhaps there was some hope of damage control, after all.

Taki pushed Kamadake away, and the redhead moved without question. "You passed out," he explained. "And then you started screaming. We couldn't wake you up, but you kept shouting for your ship to save you."

Sasami blinked, confused. Then, she remembered that the name of her new ship was also the name of her other self. _Very clever, Washu_, she thought. _Very clever, indeed. I think that I owe you one. _"What happened after that?" She hesitated. "Someone was calling me. I heard them, even there."

Taki jerked his thumb over to where Mahonori leaned against the wall. "He wouldn't let us take you to the med lab. He said that he had to pull you out first, or you wouldn't ever wake up. He did something that made you both light up like fluorescent bulbs. He seemed pretty sure of himself, for a thief." Taki's grin was friendly, and Sasami was glad to see that Taki's characteristically indiscriminate nature had allowed him to make yet another friend.

Mahonori sauntered over to Sasami's bed. He sat gingerly next to her, trying hard not to shake the bed. He stroked Sasami's cheek lightly, whispering in the language of Jurai, "I'm glad you're alright, little one. You had me worried for a few minutes. Where'd you go?"

Sasami sighed, and her eyes became haunted. "You don't want to know, Maho. This is one vision that I'll take to the grave." She smiled wearily. "Besides, if I have my way, it will never come to be." For a moment, the wave of grief washed over her, and she paled.

Mahonori, astute as ever, immediately shooed everyone out of the room, and Sasami was even more grateful for his presence than she'd been before. "So," she asked lightly, "did you really steal that fighter?"

Mahonori's laugh echoed all the way down the corridor outside Sasami's rooms.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

A few days later, the cadets assembled outside the hanger bay once more. Today, they were taking their final survival test. The cadets were going to be individually dumped in the middle of nowhere, with only the few supplies they could carry. Their ships were also going to be dropped at random locations, though each of them would be broken in some way. Their job was to find their ships, repair them, and then return to base. They were allowed to work together, assuming that they could even find one another. If they weren't back at the base within five days, they would fail the test.

As Sasami waited patiently for her turn to choose her supplies, she felt that irritating tingle in the back of her mind. She sighed, and then turned to her friends. "There's going to be a really awful storm tonight, guys. Take some rain gear, okay?"

Mahonori didn't hesitate, picking out a few pieces from the limited selection of rain gear. Taki glanced at the perfectly cloudless sky, and then shrugged and picked out a few pieces of his own. Sasami glanced at the cadets around her, knowing that she shouldn't even bother talking to them. Instead, she looked at Kamadake, who was close enough to hear their conversation.

The redheaded cadet looked at Sasami for a long moment. Then, he wordless held up the rain gear that he'd already picked up. Sasami stared at him, wondering how he'd known about the upcoming storm.

He correctly read her expression, saying in his deep voice, "I am always prepared."

She nodded, showing that she understood, and then began to pick her own equipment. Experiencing another flash of the future, she sighed and picked up the rain tent designed to hold more than five people at a time. She wouldn't be able to carry any other supplies, but at least she could keep her fellow cadets from becoming sick from overexposure when they joined her later. She also grabbed a few extra sleeping mats and blankets.

Sasami smiled ruefully at her friends before she boarded the hover vehicle that was to take her to her drop off site. The hover car carried her at least a hundred miles from the academy. The area around her was nothing more than a meadow with a few sparse trees. The large lake a few meters away was the only landmark that she could see. The pilot waved and took off, leaving her to her own devices. Instead of hunting for her ship, however, Sasami waited patiently for the first cadet to arrive.

She didn't have to wait for very long. About three hours after she'd been dumped, a single, weary cadet plodded into camp. She didn't know him very well, since he was one of the many people who avoided her in fear. He stared at her for a moment, apparently debating whether to trudge on or stop for a rest beside someone he feared. Sasami kept her face welcoming, hiding the inevitable hurt. "You might as well take a break," she said sweetly. "I saw your ship when I was brought over, and you're very close."

As the boy sat a few meters from her, Sasami felt that her lie was justified. She hadn't seen the boy's ship, of course, but she could sense it, still in the academy hanger, if she extended her powers just a little. She pointed to the west of them, and the boy nodded slightly.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Sasami watched the clouds darkening as more cadets rolled into their camp for the night. The princess built a fire using twigs scavenged from the ground beneath the trees. She also put up her giant tent, waiting patiently for her true friends to arrive. As drops began to fall from the sky, she ushered the cadets already present into her tent. She chose to stay out in the rain, herself, since she wanted to keep an eye out for Taki and Mahonori. She even waited for Kamadake, though she knew that he would probably chose to stay on his own, anyway.

Eventually, most of the cadets in their group, including Taki and Mahonri, joined her. The tent was crowded, but she managed to fit everyone inside. She used Taki's smaller tent for their gear. Since nobody but her two friends were even willing to sleep in the same tent with her, the three of them had a six-man tent for themselves. "For once, their fear of you is a good thing," joked Taki as he took up enough room for three people.

Sasami propped one elbow against her sleeping mat, resting her head on her hand. "Taki," she began seriously, and he turned to look at her. "I know it's got to be hard for you, not having any friends because of me. I'll understand," she swallowed, "I'll understand if you want to stop being friends."

Taki stared at her, and then burst into incredulous laughter. "Why in the world would I do that?" he asked between chuckles. "You're the only interesting person in this entire academy!" He started laughing again. "Hey!" he protested as Mahonori threw a boot at Taki's head. "You're interesting, too, Maho!" he cried as tears formed in his eyes from laughing too hard. The two of them began to exchange mock punches, though both made sure that they didn't actually hurt each other. Sasami smiled fondly at her friends, and then slid, unnoticed, from the tent.

She stood in the rain, reveling in the feeling of the cool drops hitting her skin. She flung her arms out, spinning in simple joy. When she started to get dizzy, she dropped to the ground, laying silent and exhausted. She lay still for several moments, but finally leapt to her feet when she heard a soft purring coming from the bushes. "Who's there?" she called, though she already suspected. True to form, Ryo-oki erupted from the bushes and jumped into Sasami's arms. "Ryo-oki!" Sasami scolded. "You'll get sick! I thought I told you to stay in our rooms until I came back!"

Ryo-oki purred again, and Sasami cocked her head as though listening to the little animal. "Well," she agreed reluctantly, "I suppose if Washu told you to come, then it's alright." She smiled sweetly. "Come on then, let's get you inside and dried off."

She turned to enter the tent, but halted abruptly when she sensed a second presence in the bushes around her. "I know you're here," she yelled. "Show yourself, whoever you are!" She watched as one of the shadows disentangled itself from the bushes around it.

Sasami stared at Kamadake, waiting suspiciously for him to explain his lurking presence. He stared back, his purple eyes unreadable in the darkness. Finally, Sasami sighed, knowing that she wouldn't get any answers that he didn't want to give.

She turned back to her tent, calling over her shoulder, "Fine, you win. Come inside and warm up. You're more than welcome to sleep in our tent, if you don't mind sleeping under the same roof as myself, anyway."

He nodded slightly and followed her inside. Sasami pointed to the extra bedroll, and Kamadake stretched out on it, keeping his eyes on her as she walked over to her own mat. She grabbed one of the extra blankets, drying Ryo-oki off as she lay down. Ryo-oki nuzzled Sasami's cheek, and the girl smiled brightly. She lay down, pulling Ryo-oki into the animal's customary place under her chin. Sasami ignored Kamadake's intense gaze, closing her own eyes and allowing herself to drift off into sleep.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

For once, Sasami didn't enter the dream-world that night. She slept peacefully, uninterrupted by Tsunami's rather taxing lessons. If she'd thought at all about the matter, she would have realized that Tsunami's lessons had been becoming less and less frequent. Sasami's grasp of her powers had increased over the past few months, and she was now almost ready to face Tokima. The only thing keeping her from the battle was the fact that she hadn't yet joined fully with Tsunami. For reasons of her own, Tsunami had kept many of the more crucial memories from the girl.

Perhaps the lack of her regular instruction was responsible for waking Sasami up in the middle of the night, and perhaps her power itself was to blame. Regardless of the reason, Sasami suddenly jerked upright, spilling Ryo-oki onto the ground. Sasami was panting heavily, and her body was covered in sweat. The sheets were twisted impossibly around her, and her brain felt foggy. She knew suddenly that something was wrong.

She stood, being careful not to make too much noise. She didn't want to wake up her friends. She knew instinctively that something big was about to happen, and she couldn't risk endangering them. As Sasami padded gingerly to the door of the tent, she heard Ryo-oki's groggy purrs. Sasami knelt by the little cabbit, facing her with a serious expression. "Something's out there, Ryo-oki. I…I think that I'm supposed to fight it." She looked down at her little friend. "Stay here, my friend, and look after them. If I fail, and whatever it is gets past me, you'll be their only defense."

The animal moaned a protest, but Sasami wouldn't hear any of it. "Stay here, Ryo-oki. For me, please?" The animal nodded, and Sasami slipped from the tent with sad eyes and a tense body. Whatever happened next, it was going to be bad.

She trudged quietly towards the lake, instinctively knowing that her foe lay in wait in that direction. She slipped through the bushes, using the skills taught to her by Mahonori to keep the sounds of her passage muffled. She crept closer to the shore of the lake, but she didn't see anything at first. She paced silently along the shore, senses alert for any other life. As she trudged along, she noticed a dark shape lying on the sand a little further along the lake. Heart cold at the thought of what she might find, Sasami sped towards it on nimble feet.

Lieutenant Wyldon lay sprawled on the sand, a dark gash along his forehead. The ride side of his face was covered in blood and bruises, but he still seemed to be alive. Sasami pressed two firm fingers along the side of the man's neck, relieved to feel the weak but steady pulse. "Lieutenant, wake up."

She shook him gently, and the man groaned and opened his eyes. "Cadet?" he muttered. "I feel like I was hit by a ton of bricks."

She helped him to sit up. "Were you?"

He stared at her. "I don't know. One minute, I was helping that mechanic with the pink hair load the ships for transport, and the next--." He paused, rubbing the back of his head ruefully. "I don't remember. Something hit me, but I didn't see what it was. Next thing I know, I'm here."

Sasami was about to ask another question, when she suddenly sensed a third presence nearby. She whirled, placing herself between the lieutenant and the threat. "What is it, cadet? What's the matter?"

She held up a hand for silence, and Wyldon reluctantly complied. Sasami's eyes darted from bush to bush, searching desperately for the malignant presence that she sensed so prevalently. Still, the blow that came a second later caught her off guard. Only the fact that Tsunami had trained her so well saved herself and the lieutenant. Her shields came up in a blinding flash of blue-green light. The ball of energy dissipated as soon as it impacted with them.

"What in the name of the seven hells was that?" Wyldon demanded angrily.

"Hush, lieutenant. You're distracting me," Sasami answered kindly.

Wyldon's eyes widened in anger, but he obediently shut up as a second ball struck them from the side. Sasami's shields, properly assembled, continued to protect them from the blast.

She sent out a small probe of magic, trying to get a feel for her attacker. What she sensed made her own eyes widen in shock. They were completely surrounded by beings that were definitely not normal. The energy that they used could only have come from one being in the universe.

Tokima's minions had come for her. From out of the void, they'd come. Great horned beasts and tiny, scaled men crept stealthily from the bushes. Sasami didn't have to spin around to see just how many of them there were. She intensified her shields, hoping to protect the lieutenant if she could. Even with her tremendous abilities, she doubted that she could take out so many at once.

Wyldon, meanwhile, was becoming ever more nervous. He didn't know what was happening, though he had the suspicion that the slender cadet standing protectively in front of him was deeply involved. The attention of the creatures around them focused on her, and her face was grimly determined. Around them, a blue-green bubble flared under the continued assault of the creatures.

"What do you want, Tokima?" Cadet Sammy suddenly shouted.

One of closest creatures, a scaled man-thing with beady eyes, came forward. He opened his mouth, but it was not a male voice that issued from it. "I've come for you, Tsunami," a woman's cruel voice hissed.

Sammy stood tall. "I am not Tsunami," she answered quietly.

A second, smaller creature came forward, and it, too, spoke in the woman's voice. This time, though, the voice was smaller, weaker, since it came from a smaller chest. "Not completely, perhaps, but soon you will be, if I don't kill you now." The thing's eyes narrowed. "I didn't understand before. Tsunami's plan was ingenious, I admit. I never expected her to merge with a mortal as inferior as yourself. It took me this long just to come up with a counter plan."

Sasami turned her back on the creature, though she kept her shields up and at full strength. "You have forgotten something, I think," she said, still using her soft voice.

A third beast stepped up, eyes narrowed. "I forget nothing, _sister_."

Wyldon felt chilled by the cadet's frozen smile. "You haven't changed, Tokima, not in all the centuries since time began. You still see reality through your own eyes, never through those of others. You miss too much, Tokima." Her smile turned regretful. "It will be your undoing, big sister."

Sasami offered a hand to the lieutenant, who stood shakily. The two of them turned to leave, ignoring the beast pacing around them. Sasami trusted in her shields, knowing that even Tokima's creatures could not break through. Suddenly, one of them stepped directly into their path. "I have something you want, Tsunami," it sneered in Tokima's voice.

Sasami lifted an eyebrow. "And what is that?" she asked coldly.

The creature gestured, and several more beings stepped up to the shore. Each of them held one of the cadets from the camp, wrists bound painfully. Their mouths were stuffed with gags, but their eyes screamed questions. Their faces were white with fear. The creature gestured again, and Sasami's friends were dragged forward. Their faces were cut and bruised, but so was the skin of the creatures holding them. Taki and Mahonari had obviously fought, though now they were unconscious. Kamadake and Ryo-oki were nowhere to be seen.

Sasami's face fell, but she didn't give in. "You think that by hurting them, you'll beat me. You're wrong, Tokima. You're so very wrong. Your actions only make me stronger." Sasami turned to Wyldon. "Please move away from me, lieutenant. I'm going to be doing something that will hurt anybody standing nearby. Don't worry for your safety. All will be well."

Wyldon nodded hastily and moved away. The look in Sasami's eyes wouldn't brook disobedience. Somehow, he knew that what she was about to do would be far beyond his ken.

As soon as Wyldon left the protection of her shield, one of the creatures grabbed him roughly. Sasami didn't react, knowing that the man would be fine once she finished her task. She walked slowly to the lake, looking down at her reflection in the water. As always, the calm face of Tsunami peered back at her. Sasami started to chant, letting her energy flow into the symbols on her forehead. Her body disappeared in a flash of her characteristically blue-green light. The light broke up into millions of tiny specks, which then flowed into the image in the water.


	8. Creatures

CHAPTER SEVEN

Voices filled the room when Sasami finally came to. She still felt somewhat drained, but she was well enough to want to be out of the bed in which she found herself. As she struggled to sit up, a strong hand pushed her back onto the pillows. Sasami glanced up, startled to see Kamadake. "What happened?" she whispered. She had to know what her fellow cadets had seen. Perhaps there was some hope of damage control, after all.

Taki pushed Kamadake away, and the redhead moved without question. "You passed out," he explained. "And then you started screaming. We couldn't wake you up, but you kept shouting for your ship to save you."

Sasami blinked, confused. Then, she remembered that the name of her new ship was also the name of her other self. _Very clever, Washu_, she thought. _Very clever, indeed. I think that I owe you one. _"What happened after that?" She hesitated. "Someone was calling me. I heard them, even there."

Taki jerked his thumb over to where Mahonori leaned against the wall. "He wouldn't let us take you to the med lab. He said that he had to pull you out first, or you wouldn't ever wake up. He did something that made you both light up like fluorescent bulbs. He seemed pretty sure of himself, for a thief." Taki's grin was friendly, and Sasami was glad to see that Taki's characteristically indiscriminate nature had allowed him to make yet another friend.

Mahonori sauntered over to Sasami's bed. He sat gingerly next to her, trying hard not to shake the bed. He stroked Sasami's cheek lightly, whispering in the language of Jurai, "I'm glad you're alright, little one. You had me worried for a few minutes. Where'd you go?"

Sasami sighed, and her eyes became haunted. "You don't want to know, Maho. This is one vision that I'll take to the grave." She smiled wearily. "Besides, if I have my way, it will never come to be." For a moment, the wave of grief washed over her, and she paled.

Mahonori, astute as ever, immediately shooed everyone out of the room, and Sasami was even more grateful for his presence than she'd been before. "So," she asked lightly, "did you really steal that fighter?"

Mahonori's laugh echoed all the way down the corridor outside Sasami's rooms.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

A few days later, the cadets assembled outside the hanger bay once more. Today, they were taking their final survival test. The cadets were going to be individually dumped in the middle of nowhere, with only the few supplies they could carry. Their ships were also going to be dropped at random locations, though each of them would be broken in some way. Their job was to find their ships, repair them, and then return to base. They were allowed to work together, assuming that they could even find one another. If they weren't back at the base within five days, they would fail the test.

As Sasami waited patiently for her turn to choose her supplies, she felt that irritating tingle in the back of her mind. She sighed, and then turned to her friends. "There's going to be a really awful storm tonight, guys. Take some rain gear, okay?"

Mahonori didn't hesitate, picking out a few pieces from the limited selection of rain gear. Taki glanced at the perfectly cloudless sky, and then shrugged and picked out a few pieces of his own. Sasami glanced at the cadets around her, knowing that she shouldn't even bother talking to them. Instead, she looked at Kamadake, who was close enough to hear their conversation.

The redheaded cadet looked at Sasami for a long moment. Then, he wordless held up the rain gear that he'd already picked up. Sasami stared at him, wondering how he'd known about the upcoming storm.

He correctly read her expression, saying in his deep voice, "I am always prepared."

She nodded, showing that she understood, and then began to pick her own equipment. Experiencing another flash of the future, she sighed and picked up the rain tent designed to hold more than five people at a time. She wouldn't be able to carry any other supplies, but at least she could keep her fellow cadets from becoming sick from overexposure when they joined her later. She also grabbed a few extra sleeping mats and blankets.

Sasami smiled ruefully at her friends before she boarded the hover vehicle that was to take her to her drop off site. The hover car carried her at least a hundred miles from the academy. The area around her was nothing more than a meadow with a few sparse trees. The large lake a few meters away was the only landmark that she could see. The pilot waved and took off, leaving her to her own devices. Instead of hunting for her ship, however, Sasami waited patiently for the first cadet to arrive.

She didn't have to wait for very long. About three hours after she'd been dumped, a single, weary cadet plodded into camp. She didn't know him very well, since he was one of the many people who avoided her in fear. He stared at her for a moment, apparently debating whether to trudge on or stop for a rest beside someone he feared. Sasami kept her face welcoming, hiding the inevitable hurt. "You might as well take a break," she said sweetly. "I saw your ship when I was brought over, and you're very close."

As the boy sat a few meters from her, Sasami felt that her lie was justified. She hadn't seen the boy's ship, of course, but she could sense it, still in the academy hanger, if she extended her powers just a little. She pointed to the west of them, and the boy nodded slightly.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Sasami watched the clouds darkening as more cadets rolled into their camp for the night. The princess built a fire using twigs scavenged from the ground beneath the trees. She also put up her giant tent, waiting patiently for her true friends to arrive. As drops began to fall from the sky, she ushered the cadets already present into her tent. She chose to stay out in the rain, herself, since she wanted to keep an eye out for Taki and Mahonori. She even waited for Kamadake, though she knew that he would probably chose to stay on his own, anyway.

Eventually, most of the cadets in their group, including Taki and Mahonri, joined her. The tent was crowded, but she managed to fit everyone inside. She used Taki's smaller tent for their gear. Since nobody but her two friends were even willing to sleep in the same tent with her, the three of them had a six-man tent for themselves. "For once, their fear of you is a good thing," joked Taki as he took up enough room for three people.

Sasami propped one elbow against her sleeping mat, resting her head on her hand. "Taki," she began seriously, and he turned to look at her. "I know it's got to be hard for you, not having any friends because of me. I'll understand," she swallowed, "I'll understand if you want to stop being friends."

Taki stared at her, and then burst into incredulous laughter. "Why in the world would I do that?" he asked between chuckles. "You're the only interesting person in this entire academy!" He started laughing again. "Hey!" he protested as Mahonori threw a boot at Taki's head. "You're interesting, too, Maho!" he cried as tears formed in his eyes from laughing too hard. The two of them began to exchange mock punches, though both made sure that they didn't actually hurt each other. Sasami smiled fondly at her friends, and then slid, unnoticed, from the tent.

She stood in the rain, reveling in the feeling of the cool drops hitting her skin. She flung her arms out, spinning in simple joy. When she started to get dizzy, she dropped to the ground, laying silent and exhausted. She lay still for several moments, but finally leapt to her feet when she heard a soft purring coming from the bushes. "Who's there?" she called, though she already suspected. True to form, Ryo-oki erupted from the bushes and jumped into Sasami's arms. "Ryo-oki!" Sasami scolded. "You'll get sick! I thought I told you to stay in our rooms until I came back!"

Ryo-oki purred again, and Sasami cocked her head as though listening to the little animal. "Well," she agreed reluctantly, "I suppose if Washu told you to come, then it's alright." She smiled sweetly. "Come on then, let's get you inside and dried off."

She turned to enter the tent, but halted abruptly when she sensed a second presence in the bushes around her. "I know you're here," she yelled. "Show yourself, whoever you are!" She watched as one of the shadows disentangled itself from the bushes around it.

Sasami stared at Kamadake, waiting suspiciously for him to explain his lurking presence. He stared back, his purple eyes unreadable in the darkness. Finally, Sasami sighed, knowing that she wouldn't get any answers that he didn't want to give.

She turned back to her tent, calling over her shoulder, "Fine, you win. Come inside and warm up. You're more than welcome to sleep in our tent, if you don't mind sleeping under the same roof as myself, anyway."

He nodded slightly and followed her inside. Sasami pointed to the extra bedroll, and Kamadake stretched out on it, keeping his eyes on her as she walked over to her own mat. She grabbed one of the extra blankets, drying Ryo-oki off as she lay down. Ryo-oki nuzzled Sasami's cheek, and the girl smiled brightly. She lay down, pulling Ryo-oki into the animal's customary place under her chin. Sasami ignored Kamadake's intense gaze, closing her own eyes and allowing herself to drift off into sleep.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

For once, Sasami didn't enter the dream-world that night. She slept peacefully, uninterrupted by Tsunami's rather taxing lessons. If she'd thought at all about the matter, she would have realized that Tsunami's lessons had been becoming less and less frequent. Sasami's grasp of her powers had increased over the past few months, and she was now almost ready to face Tokima. The only thing keeping her from the battle was the fact that she hadn't yet joined fully with Tsunami. For reasons of her own, Tsunami had kept many of the more crucial memories from the girl.

Perhaps the lack of her regular instruction was responsible for waking Sasami up in the middle of the night, and perhaps her power itself was to blame. Regardless of the reason, Sasami suddenly jerked upright, spilling Ryo-oki onto the ground. Sasami was panting heavily, and her body was covered in sweat. The sheets were twisted impossibly around her, and her brain felt foggy. She knew suddenly that something was wrong.

She stood, being careful not to make too much noise. She didn't want to wake up her friends. She knew instinctively that something big was about to happen, and she couldn't risk endangering them. As Sasami padded gingerly to the door of the tent, she heard Ryo-oki's groggy purrs. Sasami knelt by the little cabbit, facing her with a serious expression. "Something's out there, Ryo-oki. I…I think that I'm supposed to fight it." She looked down at her little friend. "Stay here, my friend, and look after them. If I fail, and whatever it is gets past me, you'll be their only defense."

The animal moaned a protest, but Sasami wouldn't hear any of it. "Stay here, Ryo-oki. For me, please?" The animal nodded, and Sasami slipped from the tent with sad eyes and a tense body. Whatever happened next, it was going to be bad.

She trudged quietly towards the lake, instinctively knowing that her foe lay in wait in that direction. She slipped through the bushes, using the skills taught to her by Mahonori to keep the sounds of her passage muffled. She crept closer to the shore of the lake, but she didn't see anything at first. She paced silently along the shore, senses alert for any other life. As she trudged along, she noticed a dark shape lying on the sand a little further along the lake. Heart cold at the thought of what she might find, Sasami sped towards it on nimble feet.

Lieutenant Wyldon lay sprawled on the sand, a dark gash along his forehead. The ride side of his face was covered in blood and bruises, but he still seemed to be alive. Sasami pressed two firm fingers along the side of the man's neck, relieved to feel the weak but steady pulse. "Lieutenant, wake up."

She shook him gently, and the man groaned and opened his eyes. "Cadet?" he muttered. "I feel like I was hit by a ton of bricks."

She helped him to sit up. "Were you?"

He stared at her. "I don't know. One minute, I was helping that mechanic with the pink hair load the ships for transport, and the next--." He paused, rubbing the back of his head ruefully. "I don't remember. Something hit me, but I didn't see what it was. Next thing I know, I'm here."

Sasami was about to ask another question, when she suddenly sensed a third presence nearby. She whirled, placing herself between the lieutenant and the threat. "What is it, cadet? What's the matter?"

She held up a hand for silence, and Wyldon reluctantly complied. Sasami's eyes darted from bush to bush, searching desperately for the malignant presence that she sensed so prevalently. Still, the blow that came a second later caught her off guard. Only the fact that Tsunami had trained her so well saved herself and the lieutenant. Her shields came up in a blinding flash of blue-green light. The ball of energy dissipated as soon as it impacted with them.

"What in the name of the seven hells was that?" Wyldon demanded angrily.

"Hush, lieutenant. You're distracting me," Sasami answered kindly.

Wyldon's eyes widened in anger, but he obediently shut up as a second ball struck them from the side. Sasami's shields, properly assembled, continued to protect them from the blast.

She sent out a small probe of magic, trying to get a feel for her attacker. What she sensed made her own eyes widen in shock. They were completely surrounded by beings that were definitely not normal. The energy that they used could only have come from one being in the universe.

Tokima's minions had come for her. From out of the void, they'd come. Great horned beasts and tiny, scaled men crept stealthily from the bushes. Sasami didn't have to spin around to see just how many of them there were. She intensified her shields, hoping to protect the lieutenant if she could. Even with her tremendous abilities, she doubted that she could take out so many at once.

Wyldon, meanwhile, was becoming ever more nervous. He didn't know what was happening, though he had the suspicion that the slender cadet standing protectively in front of him was deeply involved. The attention of the creatures around them focused on her, and her face was grimly determined. Around them, a blue-green bubble flared under the continued assault of the creatures.

"What do you want, Tokima?" Cadet Sammy suddenly shouted.

One of closest creatures, a scaled man-thing with beady eyes, came forward. He opened his mouth, but it was not a male voice that issued from it. "I've come for you, Tsunami," a woman's cruel voice hissed.

Sammy stood tall. "I am not Tsunami," she answered quietly.

A second, smaller creature came forward, and it, too, spoke in the woman's voice. This time, though, the voice was smaller, weaker, since it came from a smaller chest. "Not completely, perhaps, but soon you will be, if I don't kill you now." The thing's eyes narrowed. "I didn't understand before. Tsunami's plan was ingenious, I admit. I never expected her to merge with a mortal as inferior as yourself. It took me this long just to come up with a counter plan."

Sasami turned her back on the creature, though she kept her shields up and at full strength. "You have forgotten something, I think," she said, still using her soft voice.

A third beast stepped up, eyes narrowed. "I forget nothing, _sister_."

Wyldon felt chilled by the cadet's frozen smile. "You haven't changed, Tokima, not in all the centuries since time began. You still see reality through your own eyes, never through those of others. You miss too much, Tokima." Her smile turned regretful. "It will be your undoing, big sister."

Sasami offered a hand to the lieutenant, who stood shakily. The two of them turned to leave, ignoring the beast pacing around them. Sasami trusted in her shields, knowing that even Tokima's creatures could not break through. Suddenly, one of them stepped directly into their path. "I have something you want, Tsunami," it sneered in Tokima's voice.

Sasami lifted an eyebrow. "And what is that?" she asked coldly.

The creature gestured, and several more beings stepped up to the shore. Each of them held one of the cadets from the camp, wrists bound painfully. Their mouths were stuffed with gags, but their eyes screamed questions. Their faces were white with fear. The creature gestured again, and Sasami's friends were dragged forward. Their faces were cut and bruised, but so was the skin of the creatures holding them. Taki and Mahonari had obviously fought, though now they were unconscious. Kamadake and Ryo-oki were nowhere to be seen.

Sasami's face fell, but she didn't give in. "You think that by hurting them, you'll beat me. You're wrong, Tokima. You're so very wrong. Your actions only make me stronger." Sasami turned to Wyldon. "Please move away from me, lieutenant. I'm going to be doing something that will hurt anybody standing nearby. Don't worry for your safety. All will be well."

Wyldon nodded hastily and moved away. The look in Sasami's eyes wouldn't brook disobedience. Somehow, he knew that what she was about to do would be far beyond his ken.

As soon as Wyldon left the protection of her shield, one of the creatures grabbed him roughly. Sasami didn't react, knowing that the man would be fine once she finished her task. She walked slowly to the lake, looking down at her reflection in the water. As always, the calm face of Tsunami peered back at her. Sasami started to chant, letting her energy flow into the symbols on her forehead. Her body disappeared in a flash of her characteristically blue-green light. The light broke up into millions of tiny specks, which then flowed into the image in the water.


	9. Merge

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kamadake watched from the bushes, Ryo-oki in his arms, as the girl's body became glittery pieces of light. He could just see the tall, beautiful woman beneath the surface as the specks of light flew toward her. The woman under the water closed her eyes briefly, and then, she, too, faded. The entire surface of the water began to glow just as brightly as a sun. Suddenly, the light became too bright to look at, and everything went white. When it faded once more, the cadet's body was lying motionless on the shore. Her long hair was spread around her, and one arm lay strung across her stomach. Her eyes were closed, and she would have appeared to be sleeping had her face not been so white. She might have been dead, but he couldn't really tell from this distance.

The woman from beneath the surface was now standing on top of the water. Her long, blue robes trailed behind her, remaining dry even though they dipped into the water. Her lovely pink eyes were sad as she gazed down at the girl lying before her. "I won't do it," she murmured. "I can't go through with it, Washu."

In answer, a second figure appeared on the water. Kamadake recognized the mechanic from the academy. She now wore green robes similar to the water woman's, and her emerald eyes were serious. "You must," she declared, her voice echoing across the water. "She has already gone too far into the transition, and she will die if you pull away now."

As her friends came to, one of the creatures sprang at the three women, but the shields around the girl deflected his claws. "By all means," it hissed in its woman's voice. "Pull out. Let the girl die. She means nothing to us. We are goddesses, and we are far beyond their level."

The first woman seemed not to hear, but she abruptly sighed. "You understand so little, Tokima. We are the past; _she_ is the future. Without her, everything we fought to preserve will die."

The creature leapt for them again, and was again repelled. "We will not perish, and the mortals don't matter. They had their chance, and they threw away everything that we gave them. They deserve their fate."

The woman with the pink hair shook her head in sorrow. "No, sister. It is _you_ who have earned this. You cannot stand against her might. You will be destroyed." The woman in the green robes gestured once, and the creatures around them disappeared into the black holes that appeared suddenly behind them. They released their prisoners as they fell through the gaps in reality. Their screams were cut off as the portals closed.

The woman with the blue hair stared down at the girl, ignoring the events around her. "She may not survive," she murmured.

Washu shook her head once more. "Not only will she survive, but she's calling for it. Look," Washu murmured, pointing at the bright spirit suddenly standing beside the cadet's prone body.

"You must continue," Sammy's spirit whispered. She was wearing robes similar to those of the two goddesses, though hers were in the official colors of the planet of Jurai. The two triangles on her forehead were glowing brightly, and her pale face was peaceful.

"You must continue," she repeated. "The universe depends on it. I must face Tokima with our full power." She smiled lovingly at the people gathered around her. "During my first trip to the dream plane, you told me that I would have to accept my abilities and my destiny if I wanted to save my loved ones. It's time for you to accept them as well. We cannot stop Tokima as we are." She turned back to the women in the water. "Finish it, Tsunami. Become one with me. Only then will I be able to save them."

Tsunami hung her head, still reluctant to complete her terrible task. Eventually, she lifted her face, and tears streamed down her pale, flawless cheeks. "I'm sorry, little one," she whispered. She stepped from the water, walking over the sand until she came up to the girl's spirit form. She held out a slender hand, and the cadet took it in her own. They both closed their eyes and the lights around them exploded. They merged to become a single smear of light. The light stretched out over the cadet's body, sinking into her slowly. As the lights finished immersing into the girl, her face scrunched up and her body twisted in agony. She began to scream, though she still didn't open her eyes.

Washu looked away and disappeared, seemingly unable to stand the extent of the girl's pain. Kamadake couldn't blame her. Though the cadet's scream had weakened considerably, he could still feel her pain echoing through his soul. Ryo-oki howled in his arms, trying desperately to run to her mistress. Kamadake held onto the little animal with as much strength as he possessed, knowing that he couldn't let Ryo-oki interfere. Eventually, the girl's screams stopped, and she lay motionless, no longer convulsing with pain.

Kamadake was unable to hold onto Ryo-oki any longer. The creature leapt from his arms, leaving a mass of bloody cuts in its wake. Kamadake followed closely behind, running swiftly to the girl's all too still body. He felt for her pulse, relieved beyond words when it finally jerked against his fingers. He slid a hand beneath her head, pulling her into his lap until returned to consciousness.

He called her name softly until she stirred and moaned. Eventually, her beautiful eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at him with a pale face. The look in her eyes could have broken any man's heart, and his was not an exception. Her eyes held a wisdom that was far beyond what any one person should carry. They were ageless and filled with infinite grief. There was so much pain that he wondered how she'd survived assimilating it. Small wonder she'd screamed, he thought.

She blinked back the tears, the legacy of so much pain, and struggled to sit up. He helped her against his better judgment, and she eventually managed to stand by leaning on his arm. He kept his face impassive, simply lending her his support by remaining beside her.

She turned towards the lake, where Washu had suddenly reappeared. "You broke the rules, you know," Sammy said, smiling ruefully. "You weren't supposed to help me."

Washu shrugged. "In spite of all my brave words, I couldn't stand to see you in so much pain, little one. You're still my sister, for all that you're not just Tsunami anymore. If I didn't care so much, I wouldn't have lent you my support during your ordeal." She smiled. "What will you do now, Tsunami?"

Sammy shrugged. "We're needed on Jurai. The final battle will happen there."

Washu nodded and turned away. "Return to the academy, then. I have the feeling that you and your companions will need your ships. They'll be waiting for you in the hanger bay. I'll also have Kiyone and Mihoshi pay a little visit to Jurai while I'm at it." She started to fade, but then called out, "I'm proud of you, little sister. You did very well just now. Both of you," she added, and then disappeared.

Sammy stared after her, pink eyes thoughtful. Then, she turned to her fellow cadets. "What do you say, my friends? Are you up for a little side trip to Jurai?"

The cadets glanced at her, and then at each other. Several of them shrugged and nodded. The others perked up when Mahonori added in a sing- song voice, "There's going to fighting, and we'll get all the royal treatment when we get to Jurai."

Sasami glanced at Wyldon, who nodded slowly. "I'm with you, whoever you are," he announced solemnly.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

As promised, their ships were waiting for them back at the academy. Unfortunately, the prince and his friends were there as well. Sasami sighed profoundly as she glimpsed the furious royal. In her opinion, the boy was just a royal pain.

Washu was nowhere to be seen, so Sasami decided to deal with him in her own way. "Prince Dael," she called in an authorative voice. The prince glared at her, but she continued to speak, undaunted by his feral expression. "Let your hatred go," she commanded.

He sneered crudely at her. "I heard that you planned to leave," he said. "I forbid it. If you do not call off this foolish expedition immediately, I'll be forced to place all of you under arrest for treason against the crown of Misox."

Sasami stared at him, her eyes cold and hard. "Anything else?" she asked facetiously.

The prince didn't notice her sarcasm. "I want the Tsunami. You will show me how to fly it, cadet, or you will face the consequences."

Sasami shrugged and pointed at the prince's group. The triangles on her forehead began to glow, and a blue-green light filled the air around the men. They stared at her resentfully, and then collapsed in a heap on the floor. Sasami gestured to her friends. "Help me load them into my ship," she said as she grabbed the prince by his ankles and started to drag him across the floor.

Taki ran to help her, muttering, "Why do they have to come? They'll only get in the way."

Sasami concentrated, and a small compartment appeared in the side of her ship. "We can't leave them here. When they wake up, they'd blow our whole mission. Let's just take them with, and I'll decide what to do with them later."

They stuffed the prince into the new cargo hold, somehow making room for all of the men in the tiny hatch. As soon as she finished, Sasami climbed into her cockpit. The rest of the cadets followed suite, and the group of planes took of into the night.

Several hours later, Wyldon contacted Sasami over their communicators. "The security around Jurai is pretty tight. Nobody goes in or out without permission, and they'll shoot any unidentified planes without hesitation. Just how did you plan to get us to the planet, Cadet Sammy?"

Sasami stifled a chuckle. "I think they'll let us through, lieutenant. Don't worry so much. I've got everything covered."

Sure enough, the fighters around the purple planet challenged them as soon as they arrived. Sasami didn't identify herself as they requested, merely repeating a series of numbers that didn't make sense to anyone but herself and the knight receiving it. These numbers told the knight that she was either a royal or closely connected to the royal family, and that he should allow her inside without question.

As soon as she finished calling off numbers, the knight of Jurai started to stutter embarrassingly. "I-I'm s-s-sorry, m-ma'am. D-dock s-s-seven is b-being readied for you as we s-speak."

Sasami politely thanked the knight, and then asked the other cadets to fall in behind her. Using the power of thought alone, she steered her ship into the docking port.


	10. Homecoming

CHAPTER NINE

Sasami brought her ship gently to the ground, letting her engine cool before she opened the hatch where the prince and his retinue were locked up. As soon as the door to their dark prison opened, they leapt from the ship, screaming profanities. Sasami ignored them, patiently waiting for the other cadets and Lieutenant Wyldon to land their own crafts. As the cadets formed two lines in front of their vessels, several hundred armed men filed into the docking port. These soldiers also formed two lines, forming a perpendicular angle with the cadets. They stood at attention, staffs held in the air to form a sort of canopy for the tall, handsome man that entered the port.

The man's robes were colorful and expensive, and the cadets could immediately see that he was someone to reckon with. He paced towards them, expression stern. Completely ignoring everyone else, he stared hard at the slender girl still perched in the cockpit of her ship. Finally, he turned to Lieutenant Wyldon. "Sir," he declared in a bored voice, "You are under arrest for trespassing. Please surrender your weapons and go quietly."

The prince of Misox took a position in front of the group. "I am crown prince Dael of Misox," he announced arrogantly. "I demand that you release us immediately." He paused. "If you give me one of your princesses, I will consider keeping this incident to myself."

Kagato stared at him, and then burst into maliciously incredulous laughter. "The little prince is demanding something of me? Misox is nothing compared to Jurai, foolish boy, and you are worth even less than that. Give _you_ a princess!' I should kill you for your insolence!"

Dael's face turned livid with rage, and he started to protest loudly. The robed man rolled his eyes and began to inspect his fingernails. When Dael's rants became tiresome, the man gestured for the guards to step forward. They held up their staffs menacingly, and the cadets took several involuntary steps backward.

Just as the knights were about to attack, Sasami slid down from her ship. She pushed her way through the other cadets, glaring at the man with a cross expression. "Stop playing games, Kagato," she ordered.

As they spotted the girl for the first time, every guard in the room gasped and fell to their knees. The sound of so many men half-kneeling—in spite of the fact that they normally wouldn't kneel to anyone but her father— made the cadets want to cover their ears. Armor just wasn't a good thing to clang to the ground in.

The one called Kagato knelt to the girl as well, though his face still bore its mask of near-hatred. "Princess Sasami," he greeted sourly.

She glared at him, resting one hand on her hip. "I want to see Aeka immediately, Kagato." Her eyes narrowed. "You will take me to her."

Kagato stood, though he continued to bow slightly from the waist. He swept one arm in the direction of the exit, and Sasami proceeded him down the hallway. The cadets followed nervously behind, as did several of the Jurain guards. All of them could see the bad blood between princess and lord, and they wanted to see what would come of it. Only the prince hesitated, staring open-mouthed after them. "She's a princess?" he whispered incredulously as he started to trail after them.

Sasami ignored the heated whispers coming from her comrades. She ignored the angry glares of Kagato, and she ignored the questioning glances of her friends. She didn't have time for any of it. Aeka hadn't said anything during her visits in the dream-world, but Sasami could sense that something was brewing between the elder princess and lord Kagato. Sasami needed to see things for herself, before she risked involvement. She walked swiftly to the assembly room, guessing that her sister would be there. She came to the doors, which were guarded zealously by a pair of Jurain knights. They immediately dropped to their knees as she approached. Sasami impatiently waved them to their feet, and one of them stepped forward, keeping a respectful distance. "Princess, it is good to have you here again."

Sasami blinked. She'd always made a point of being friendly to the guards, but she hadn't expected the genuine welcome that she saw in this man's eyes. "Thank you," she murmured, letting her face soften slightly.

The man bowed again, saying in an apologetic tone, "The emperor has forbidden any audiences today, princess. He doesn't wish to be disturbed."

Sasami smiled sweetly at the knight. "I am aware of my father's aversion to public audiences," she murmured comfortingly. "Still, I think he will wish to see me." She shrugged dismissively. "It's not every day that the prodigal daughter returns." She brushed past the guard, who stepped aside obligingly. As Sasami pushed aside the door to the throne room, she motioned for the people behind her to follow. Kagato, she noticed, had disappeared sometime during her conversation with the guard.

As Sasami stomped into the assembly room, she felt all eyes once again turning on her. She stood, a tiny figure in a black uniform, waiting for the shocked whispers of her father's court to die down. Her family had been engrossed in something one of her father's messengers was saying. When silence fully descended on the room, they turned to see what had caused the commotion. Aeka's eyes widened in shock and joy, and she started to run for her sister, crying tearfully, "Sasami!" Their aqua- haired mother beat Aeka to Sasami, wrapping the girl in a bone-cracking hug. "My beautiful Sasami!" she shouted, deafening everyone in the room.

"Hello, mother," Sasami squeaked. She and Aeka tried to pry their mother off, but the woman's arms only became tighter. Tears streamed down both Sasami and her mother's cheeks, though Sasami's were from pain and lack of oxygen. Her face started to turn as blue as her hair, and she could no longer speak.

"That's enough, sister," the purple haired queen commanded from her place beside the emperor.

Sasami's mother spun, still with the girl in her arms, to face her sister-wife. "But, it's my baby!" she protested.

The queen merely wagged her finger reproachfully at Sasami's mother, and the woman reluctantly dropped her daughter. Sasami sagged onto the floor, rubbing her aching ribs.

When she could finally breathe normally again, Sasami stood slowly. Since her mother looked like she was about to give a repeat performance, Sasami edged carefully away. Instead, she hugged Aeka hard, though not nearly as hard as their mother was capable of, and let Aeka latch onto her for moment. When Sasami finally pulled away, Aeka discreetly wiped away a tear. "It's so good to have you back, Sasami," she whispered.

"It's good to be back," Sasami answered before turning to her father and his primary queen.

Sasami bowed gracefully. "Your majesties," she acknowledged.

The queen tilted her head slightly in greeting, but Sasami's father just stared resentfully at his daughter. "Where have you been, Sasami?" he demanded coldly.

Sasami sighed. She'd foolishly been hoping that her father would show some emotion. She knew that he loved her, of course, but he wasn't a demonstrative man. "I've been at the academy for the galaxy police, father."

The emperor's eyes narrowed angrily. "You've been where?" he hissed.

Sasami took a few steps closer, keeping her face calm. "I was in training, father. I enjoyed my time there."

Her father glared at her. "Just because you are not next in line for the throne, Sasami, doesn't mean that you are free to abandon us. Your sister is about to be wed. How would you feel if you'd missed the ceremony?"

Sasami smiled cryptically. "I would not have missed her wedding for the universe," she answered. "Where is lord Tenchi, anyway?"

Her father shrugged, unable to stay angry at his favorite child for very long. "He's preparing for the wedding. It's in just two weeks, and he must learn all of our customs first."

Sasami inclined her head. "Thank you, father, for understanding," she murmured.

The queen stood, knowing that her husband had given as much of a welcome as he was capable of. "We are all glad that you've returned to us, Sasami. Won't you introduce us to your companions?"

Sasami gestured towards her group. "These are my fellows at the academy. This gentleman is lieutenant Wyldon, my commander." She paused. "Speaking of commanders, have Miss Mihoshi and Miss Kiyone arrived yet?"

The queen shook her head. "We were discussing that as you came in. They are en route as we speak." The queen smiled. "You must be tired, Sasami. Why don't you find a place for your friends to sleep, and we'll speak again later." She glanced at her husband. "There's supposed to be a ball tomorrow night, in honor of Aeka and Tenchi's wedding. We would be delighted if you and your friends can attend."

Sasami bowed and left the ballroom.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

She tracked down the housing steward, telling him to find quarters for each of her companions. They were led to individual suites that were rich enough to appease even the spoiled prince. Sasami debated whether or not to return to her own rooms, but eventually decided that she wasn't tired. Instead, she headed for the sacred room guarded by yet another pair of guards. The guards waved at her, letting her enter without protest. Sasami slipped through the giant doors, shutting them quietly behind her.

As she entered, every tree in the room lit up in welcome. _Welcome home, mother, sister, friend,_ they whispered into her mind. Sasami greeted them all, slowly threading her way towards the center of the room. She approached Tsunami's old tree with a feeling akin to sadness. Tsunami's tree was no longer as vibrant as it had been before they'd merged. That part of Tsunami that had been cased inside the plant was now in Sasami, and the tree was dying. Sasami laid a gentle hand along its trunk, caressing the bark.

"Is that your tree, princess?" inquired a deep voice, and Sasami smiled over her shoulder at Kamadake.

"You know, Kamadake, you shouldn't really sneak up on people like that. Have you ever thought of a career as a knight? Skills like yours would be vastly appreciated in the force."

Kamadake inclined his head in acknowledgment of the compliment. "I am already a knight," he murmured.

Sasami continued to smile. "I know," she said, and some of the stone in his face eased in something akin to relief. "I didn't know at first, of course, but I've been watching you for a long time. You made one mistake during training." He blinked, so she continued. "You were too good during training. You should have toned down your abilities a bit." Her smile faded. "I assume that Washu sent you to look after me?"

He nodded. "The lady goddess wanted you to be protected until you fully assimilated with Tsunami."

Sasami smiled sadly at him. "How much did you know about me?"

Kamadake shrugged. "Washu had me tag along during each of your visits to the dream-world. You could not see me, but I saw and heard everything. It was I that brought Mahonori's ring back for you."

Sasami glanced in surprise at her ring. "I'd forgotten all about it," she murmured. "I never did figure out its purpose." She twisted the bit of bone on her finger, not looking at him.

He took a hesitant step towards her. "You never answered my question," he said, still expressionless.

"What is that?" asked Sasami absently.

"Which tree is yours? Tsunami's tree has been here since the beginning of time, and I know that the royal children of Jurai don't receive theirs until the day that they are born. Do you have two trees?"

Sasami laughed lightly. "No. I don't have a tree at all." She smiled. "My parents did, of course, plant a tree the day that I was born. As was the custom, they placed the seed in a little pot until I bonded with it. They took the pot to the sacred room, so the other trees could also acknowledge it. They were supposed to formally plant the tree the next day, but, when they arrived, it was gone. Since they could already sense the power of the Jurain trees within me, they assumed that someone had accidentally planted it during the night. They searched everywhere, of course, but they never found it. I always used to wonder what had happened to it." She chuckled. "I know, now, that my little seedling was sent to someone else. Since Tsunami has been sustaining my life from the beginning, I didn't need a tree at all." She glanced at Kamadake. "I'll tell you one day where my seedling went."

He inclined his head in acceptance, and she leaned against Tsunami's tree, crossing her arms. "It's so peaceful here," she murmured, staring at the other trees around her. "I hate to leave."

Kamadake stepped hesitantly over to her. "I wasn't aware that you were leaving, princess."

Sasami shrugged. "Call me Sasami, please. And yes, I will leave if I survive my fight with Tokima." She shook her head regretfully. "I can't stay here. My father loves me very much, but it is his nature to use whatever tools are in hand. In spite of us both, he will see my power as such a tool. I must leave until he is no longer the emperor."

Kamadake continued to watch her. "This will hurt you," he said tonelessly, and she nodded again.

"Yes, but it would hurt me even more to become an object. My father would fight this inclination at first, of course, but eventually his love of power would overcome his affection for me."

"Surely, not all of your family feels this way," Kamadake protested softly.

"No, Aeka and the queens do not. Still, my father's primary queen will not oppose any course he chooses, and I am not even her daughter." She glanced at him, and then explained, "My mother is only my father's secondary queen. He had only one child by the first wife, Yosho. When it became apparent that his first queen could not have any more children, he took a second wife. After a while, he learned to care for my mother, though he always preferred Yosho's mother." Sasami grinned. "I almost prefer Yosho's mother. It is impossible not to love my mother, since she is so affectionate herself. Still, she's not the most sensible of people, is my lady mother. She's like a little child trapped in an adult's body."

Kamadake gazed into the distance. "She is very beautiful. You take after her in looks, at least."

Sasami's head whipped around, and she stared at him for a long moment. Finally, she turned back to her own contemplation of the room before her. "I think that I have been here long enough. My sister will be worried, and I have yet to speak in private with her." She glanced down at her feet. "Will you be coming to the ball, Kamadake?"

He turned his purple gaze on her. "I had not expected to. Now that I am back on Jurai, I must make amends to my superior for my long absence."

Sasami grinned. "I'm pretty sure that your absence will be excused, Kamadake. Come to the ball." She looked up at him. Though she was fairly tall, he was several inches above her. "Please? For me?"

He nodded gravely. "I will be there, if it would please you, princess."

She smiled in relief. "It will please me very much. I'd like to have all of my friends with me, if I can." She fled before he could answer, desperate to escape his presence before she gave anything else away. He watched her leave, and, for once, his face gave everything away.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Sasami didn't see any of her friends that day, though she sought each of them out. Kamadake was nowhere to be found, and Taki was too busy enjoying the luxuries of his suite. For the son of a miner, this place was sheer heaven. Mahonori, too, was reveling in the fact that, for once, he wasn't in the dungeon or sneaking through the palace grounds. He could come and go as he pleased, and, according to the note he left for Sasami in his quarters, he wanted to explore the palace. Lieutenant Wyldon was enjoying the company of one or two of the knights that he'd befriended. Even the prince had gotten over his anger, and was flirting profusely with several of the court ladies. Sasami predicted that he'd soon get over his arrogance, and he already showed signs of becoming a decent being.

Deciding that she needed to be on her own, Sasami headed for the palace gardens. Normally, she would have headed immediately for the labyrinth, but something told her to stay away. She could sense Tokima's presence there, and Sasami wouldn't approach until the final battle. Tokima could wait until Sasami was completely ready.

As Sasami wandered through the ornate flower beds, she glimpsed a couple walking, hand in hand, down the paths. Sasami smiled with true joy, seeing the way her elder sister doted on the handsome young man beside her. "They do make a perfect couple," she whispered to Ryo-oki, who'd accompanied her. The little animal, perched on top of Sasami's head, purred happily. Sasami smiled up at her little friend and waited for Aeka and Tenchi to notice her.

As Aeka spotted Sasami, she squealed and pulled Tenchi over to her sister. "Sasami!" she cried, and hugged her aqua-haired sister as if she hadn't seen her in years.

Sasami hugged her back, smiling over Aeka's shoulder at Tenchi.

Tenchi grinned openly, and held out his hand as soon as Aeka released Sasami. Sasami took his hand and shook it gently. "You must be the famous Sasami," he greeted cheerfully. "I've heard so much about you."

Sasami grinned back. "It's good to see you in this world, Lord Tenchi."

He blinked at her, confused. Sasami turned to Aeka. "May I borrow your fiancé, Aeka? I have to give him the customary hurt-my-sister-and- I'll-kill-you speech."

Aeka blushed shyly, but nodded.

Sasami hooked her arm through Tenchi's elbow, leading him to a secluded portion of the garden. She sat herself down on one of the narrow, stone benches and gestured for Tenchi to sit beside her. Sasami smiled at the young man with the intense brown eyes. Without preamble, Sasami began to speak. "What, exactly, has my sister told you about me, lord Tenchi?" she asked kindly.

Tenchi rested his elbows on his knees. "Just that you're not…like the rest of us," he hedged. "She said that you have a different destiny, but she wouldn't say what it was."

Sasami smiled. "Perfect. Now, I don't have to disabuse you of any rumors you might have heard." She turned to the young lord. "Aeka is right. My destiny is different, Tenchi. I have...certain tasks that I must perform. Unfortunately, so do you."

He watched her, confused.

"Your destiny, lord Tenchi, is to wed Aeka and produce a fine family of healthy children. To do that, however, you must defeat the greatest foe that you will ever have."

He was staring openly now. "I don't have any enemies," he protested.

Sasami laughed. "You have more enemies that you'll ever know, Tenchi. Anybody who hates Jurai, and especially the royal family, wants you dead. Don't worry about them, though. They'll work themselves out. You have only one enemy that truly matters."

He started to question her, but she held up one hand for silence. "There is a man," she explained, "that loves Aeka with all of his twisted soul. He would do anything to get her. Now that you're here, he thinks that he only has to kill you to win her heart."

Tenchi started, surprise clear in his dark eyes.

"Good," Sasami approved. "There isn't fear in your eyes. You need not fear this man, though he is very powerful." She stood, letting her cramped legs stretch out.

"Who is he?" Tenchi demanded. "What will I have to do to protect Aeka from him?"

Again, Sasami smiled. This young man was even better in real life than he'd been in her visions. "Kagato is brewing up a plan to get you executed. I'm not certain yet what he's going to do, but it will be hard for you. Knowing him, he'll attack the very day of your wedding." She gazed sharply at him. "You have a power within yourself, Tenchi, that you have yet to tap into. You will need this power if you are to defeat Kagato."

Tenchi looked down at his hands. "How will I get this power?" he asked softly.

Sasami pulled her future brother-in-law to his feet. "I will train you. It will take an unbelievable amount of effort, but I believe that you can learn in time." She indicated a clear spot on the palace lawn. "Come. We should start immediately."

She led him over to the spot, and they stood, facing each other. Ryo-oki hopped away with soft growl. The cabbit didn't like the bright lights that usually accompanied Sasami's powers.

Sasami's triangles started to glow, and her shields came up around them both. Tenchi stared nervously at them, waiting for some explanation. "These are my shields," Sasami complied. "They'll protect everything around us in case one of your blasts goes awry." She brought up her hands, and a tiny energy ball formed in them.

"My blasts?" gulped Tenchi, staring at the ball.

Sasami just smiled wickedly, and the lessons began.


	11. Tenchi's Tree

CHAPTER TEN

Kamadake pulled at the irritatingly stiff collar of his formal uniform as he entered the throne room. The room was tastefully decorated with banners and floral arrangements. In one corner of the room, Taki and Mahonori feasted ravenously on the refreshments provided by the palace cooks. Kamadake rolled his eyes. Even in their borrowed, expensive clothes, these two still looked like cadets. _The princess has the oddest friends_, he thought.

Speaking of the princess…

His purple eyes scanned the room, finally coming to rest on the group of nobles containing the aqua- haired princess.

Kamadake's breath caught in his throat, in spite of himself. She wore the long, elegant robes of a Jurain princess, and her beautiful blue hair was pulled loosely back from her face. It hung in glossy ropes nearly to the floor. She wore no jewelry, but her sparkling pink eyes were adornment enough. She was smiling brightly at the young nobleman fawning on her, and Kamadake had to suppress the instant wave of jealousy that swamped over him. Grinding his teeth, he headed quickly for the princess. He tapped the nobleman's shoulder lightly, and bowed to Sasami. She smiled at him, and Kamadake found himself asking for a dance. She agreed immediately, much to the disappointment of the nobleman. Kamadake hid his triumphant smile and swept her onto the dance floor.

Sasami made polite conversation as she danced with Kamadake, noting Aeka's teasing grin as her sister dance with Tenchi. As a lull broke into the dancing, a messenger burst into the throne room, waving a paper fearfully. He ran to the emperor, who grabbed impatiently for the message. The emperor read swiftly, and then started barking orders to one of his dancing commanders.

"What's going on?" asked Aeka as she and Tenchi made their way over to Sasami. They were too far away to hear anything.

Sasami's eyes narrowed, and she tried to read the thoughts of her father and his commander. "There's some kind of military force approaching Jurai," she said eventually. "Father's people don't recognize them, but they pose a threat to the planet. Father is afraid," she whispered.

Aeka paled. "Father is never afraid." She glanced at her fiancé. "Excuse me, Tenchi. I must go to him."

Tenchi nodded, and Aeka moved to stand beside her father. The emperor glared at Tenchi for a moment, and then beckoned him over.

Tenchi hesitated, so Sasami whispered, "You'd better go, Tenchi. Father doesn't invite just anyone to the war council."

Tenchi nodded again, and walked over to Aeka.

The empress stood and addressed the court. "My friends," she began, "we have a minor crisis to deal with. Please excuse us, and we'll continue the ball another night. Thank you for your cooperation." The grumbling nobles turned and left. Sasami noticed that several smiling women accompanied Prince Dael, and she shook her head in resignation.

Sasami watched her family for a moment, and then turned to leave. Kamadake caught up with her in the hallway. "Aren't you going to participate in the council?" he asked curiously.

She smiled at her friend. "I don't need to," she replied. "I've known for millennia that Tokima's forces were coming. I know as much about them as I need to. My beloved father, however, will not listen to me anyway, should I decide to give any details." She paused thoughtfully. "There is one person that he might believe, however. Pardon me, Kamadake. I have to go speak with my brother."

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

She found Yosho seated on the same bench that she and Tenchi had used earlier. Without turning around, Yosho greeted his half-sister. "Good evening to you, Sasami."

Sasami smiled as she sat beside him. "And to you, brother." She gazed at him for a moment. Though Yosho was only a few decades older than herself, he looked like an old man. His thick gray hair was pulled into a tail at the base of his neck, and a pair of even thicker spectacles framed his wrinkled face.

"Are you ever going to drop your disguise, Yosho?" she inquired curiously.

He shook his head, still not looking at her. "It's grown on me, I think." He snorted. "You sound just like mother. She's been trying to get me to drop it for years."

Sasami grinned. "Your mother is a wise woman, I think." She paused. "The queen knew where you were all this time?"

Yosho finally turned to look at her. "My mother knows everything," he said in the tone of a small boy who is utterly convinced that his mother knows all. "She knew how much I hated my life here, so she let me leave. She didn't tell our father where I'd gone, since she also realized that he'd drag me back. I will always be grateful to her."

Sasami slipped one of her hands into one of his. "Aeka did the same for me. They are wonderful women."

Yosho grunted ruefully. "I know."

Sasami glanced up at him. "Do you ever regret leaving? You gave up so much, Yosho."

Yosho sighed. "Yes, I regret it; every day I regret it. But I would not take back a single moment of my life on Earth, for all that. My wife was an incredible woman. I wish you could have met her."

Sasami didn't let him see her smile. "You might be angry with me for saying so, but I did know your wife, brother. She was specially chosen for you, years before your birth."

Yosho stared at her. "How could you know her?" he demanded. "She died while you were still a mere babe."

Sasami cocked her head to one side. "The goddess, Tsunami, chose her for you years before you even met her. Tsunami knew that your line would result in Tenchi, and she wanted your wife's strength to be in him." She smiled at his bewildered expression. "For now, let's just say that Tsunami visited your wife from time to time, and they came to know each other quite well."

Yosho nodded slowly. "I always suspected that my wife had divine guidance. How else could she know exactly what I was up to at all times? I couldn't get away with anything after I married her."

Sasami laughed heartily. "That wasn't divine guidance, brother. That was merely woman's intuition. Your wife was very special."

She was glad, now, that she'd taken the time to speak to her elusive brother. _This moment alone is worth everything I've gone through,_ she mused.

Her attention snapped back to Yosho as her brother stood and stretched. He started walking, gesturing for her to follow. "What did you need to ask me, little one?" he inquired as they meandered down one of the garden paths.

Sasami sighed. "There's a force approaching Jurai," she began. "It's...it's connected to Tsunami, but it's coming to hurt me."

Yosho didn't turn to look at her as she'd expected. His voice and body remained calm and collected. "Do you know something of this upcoming force?"

Sasami nodded hesitantly. "More than you could ever understand, brother." She sighed. "The army isn't really the main event. That will take place quietly, between myself and one other. This upcoming army is only a distraction, to keep me from focusing on my real goal."

Yosho glanced at her, though his face remained neutral. "What did you need me to do, then?"

Sasami stopped him, and he turned to face her with gentle eyes. "Father wouldn't listen to me if I told him what I knew. He'll demand explanations that I'm not ready or willing to give." She gazed up at him, beautiful eyes grave. "He will, however, listen to you. He respects your opinion, for all that he thinks you abandoned him when you left Jurai." She paused again, and then continued in a pleading voice, "If I give you the details of this army, could you feed them to father and pretend that the information comes from you?"

Yosho's eyes became calculating. "Yes, I think that I can do that. Where will I say I received this information?"

Sasami shrugged. "I'll leave that up to you. You've traveled quite a bit, and I'm sure you've got plenty of sources. You are positive that you want to do this?"

Yosho chucked a finger playfully under her chin. "For you, little sister, I would do anything." His eyes became slightly misty. "Besides, I think that I owe you one for bringing my precious wife to me."

Sasami stiffened in surprise, but winked back just as playfully. "Tsunami introduced you. I was just along for the ride."

Yosho smiled brightly and turned back to his walk.

Sasami smiled briefly, and then noticed where he was heading. "Yosho!" she called softly, and he turned around to face her. She pointed to the labyrinth at the end of his path. "Don't go to the labyrinth, brother. It's not...safe there, at least not for you."

He glanced, puzzled, in the direction of the maze. "I hadn't even realized that I was going to the labyrinth. It's odd," he mused. "It's almost as though something was leading me there." He shook his head in an attempt to clear his confusion. "I think that you're quite correct, little one. That labyrinth is not safe for anyone. I'll get father to put a ban on it, while I'm at it."

Sasami considered. "No, don't do that. Bans only entice people to break them, and that would prove fatal. Just keep yourself and Tenchi away, will you?" He nodded, and she ran, wind-like, back to the palace. She didn't like being so close to the labyrinth, herself.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

If anything, the pull towards the labyrinth became even stronger. Tokima must have put a compulsion on the place, Sasami mused one evening as she stood on the main balcony of the palace, gazing out into the rain. Anybody who means anything in the long run will be drawn to it, and Tokima has surely laid traps for them. Only the day before, Sasami had noticed that Kamadake was heading for the maze. He'd been too far away for her to do anything, and she waited in fear for him to enter. She'd been relieved beyond words when he suddenly stopped, shook all over, and returned to the palace. He hadn't said anything as he'd passed her, but he'd seemed almost...afraid. For the first time since she'd met him, a blank mask didn't cover his emotions.

He'd always been one of the few people that she couldn't sense, but now his emotions almost overpowered her. He was afraid of whatever was in that maze, but he was more concerned with Sasami's well being. He didn't want her to face Tokima, and he didn't want her to be in danger. A thought flitted across his mind, and Sasami had to suppress the surprise she felt as she picked it up. Washu may have set me free, but I'll never leave Sasami. Even if I can't help her against that thing, at least I can be by her side. Sasami hadn't responded in any way, except to reach across the space between them and squeeze his hand lightly. He gazed at her, eyes hooded, and left the room. Sasami herself went in search of Aeka, needing the unconditional love that her sister could provide.

Now, only a week remained before Tenchi and Aeka's wedding. The pair was deeply involved in their wedding preparations, though Sasami often pulled Tenchi away for training. She and Tenchi spent many hours in training, and Sasami felt inordinately proud of her pupil. Though he hadn't managed to unlock the wings of Jurai just yet, he'd already mastered the basic attacks. Sasami had even gone so far as to teach the young prince the hand- to-hand techniques that she'd learned from both the academy and Mahonori. Tenchi proved to be unusually apt, and Sasami credited her brother with his discipline. Tenchi was already a master in sword techniques, also a legacy of Yosho's training. Now, if he could just generate the wings of the light hawk, he'd be ready for his battle with Kagato.

Tokima's army was also swiftly approaching. Thanks to the information she'd passed on to Yosho, her father knew just what preparations he'd have to complete for the defense of Jurai. Their own armies were already assembled, as were the cadets that Wyldon had so graciously volunteered. Even Kiyone and Mishoshi had finally arrived, bringing several hundred of their own troops. Sasami had only had a few minutes alone with the two officers, since her father monopolized most of their time, but those few minutes had been vastly fruitful. Sasami was able to give them the details that even Yosho did not credit. All in all, Sasami felt that her people were as ready as they could ever be.

Sasami spent many hours secluded in the holy room, listening to the trees. She found that their voices soothed her, giving her the strength necessary for the coming trials. She would sit, cross-legged, at the base of Tsunami's tree, meditating until her mind was clear. Kamadake or Aeka sometimes found her there, eyes closed, and would sit silently by her while she meditated. Sometimes, Sasami chose to speak with them, and she found their conversations almost as calming.

One bright day, Sasami brought Tenchi to the sacred room. She sat him down, ignoring the questions streaming from his lips. "What about my lessons, Sasami? What is this place? Why are there so many trees, and why do I feel so...watched?"

Sasami finally smiled and seated herself directly across from him. "Has your grandfather never told you about this place?" she asked in a friendly voice, and

Tenchi shook his head. "Grandfather never told me anything about this place, at least not until that spaceship of his suddenly popped out of the lake by our home. It scared me half to death," he chuckled ruefully.

"Yes, that sounds like the brother I'm coming to know," Sasami laughed with Tenchi.

She suddenly became serious, though she continued to smile sweetly. "This is what we casually call the 'sacred room'." She paused, staring thoughtfully at him. "This means nothing to you, does it?" He shook his head mutely, and she sighed. "Okay. I guess I'll have to start at the beginning."

"Okay. To start at the very beginning... Three goddesses were created along with the universe. Their purpose was to protect everything within, to keep things running smoothly. Unfortunately, these goddesses disagreed about just what was necessary to keep everything going smoothly. Their disagreement is so serious that one of these goddesses decided to destroy every living thing." She took a deep breath. "In the early days, when the universe was still young, one of the three goddesses, Tsunami, noticed that the people of Jurai worshipped their trees. Since these people also could channel great power in the form of the light hawk wings, Tsunami realized that they could help her protect the universe against the dark goddess, Tokima." She smiled sadly. "To be strictly truthful, Tokima isn't dark at all. She's actually blonde and has very pale skin." She made a face. "I'm sorry; I'm going off the subject. Anyway, Tsunami sent a piece of herself into the oldest and strongest of these trees."

Sasami indicated the tree directly behind Tenchi, and he turned to face it with a startled and reverent expression. "Is this it?" he asked, getting up to walk around the trunk. He placed a gentle hand against the trunk, unknowingly echoing Sasami's own actions when she'd first arrived.

Sasami pushed away the memory, saying, "Yes, that is Tsunami's tree. Using the seeds of this tree, Tsunami created thousands of others just like it. She convinced the royal family of Jurai to merge with these plants. This bond resulted in two things. First, the mortals can share the life energies of the tree. Since trees live so very long, their bonded also live longer than any average being. Secondly, the mortals have the ability to heal themselves after receiving injuries. The trees borrow this ability."

Tenchi continued to stare at her, letting his sharp mind work through the implications. "Aeka told me once that she was over a thousand years old. I thought she was joking." He glanced at Sasami. "So, every royal has one of these?"

Sasami shrugged. "Most royals have them, anyway. Sometimes, even non-royals can earn one, though this is almost unheard of. You've met Commanders Mihoshi and Kiyone, right?"

Tenchi nodded. "They were part of your father's war council. Why?"

Sasami smiled. "About three centuries ago, one of the minor nobles tried to stage a coup against my father. They would have succeeded, too, had not Mihoshi and Kiyone learned of the plot beforehand. Back then, the galaxy police were not allowed on Jurai. Jurai was still somewhat egocentric in its views, and outsiders were not permitted on the planet. Mihoshi and Kiyone disobeyed direct orders from their superiors, forbidding them from doing anything. The police commanders wanted to weaken Jurai's military strength, and they figured that they could cut a deal with the new, unlawful emperor."

Tenchi resumed his place across from Sasami, intrigued. "It's quite a story, actually. Mishoshi and Kiyone hijacked one of their own planes and somehow got past the security stations. Our own people were shooting at them, but they were still able to transmit a message to one of the security stations. It turned out that the soldier who received it was corrupt, and he didn't pass it along as he should have. When Kiyone realized this, she purposely allowed herself to be captured. She managed to overpower the knights taking her to a holding cell, and eventually ended up in the throne room just as the coup was taking place. She single-handedly knocked out the lead nobleman, and the coup ended as abruptly as it had begun. As a reward, she and her partner were given a tree of their own, and the spaceports were opened to foreigners for the first time in nearly thirteen millennia." She pointed up at one of the walkways. "See that one? That's theirs."

He listened attentively, caught up in the drama of the story. "Is that all?" he asked disappointedly.

Sasami smiled. "No. Before their adventure, only royals born on Jurai could have a tree. Unfortunately, this would have left you out in the cold, wouldn't it? You couldn't ever have received a tree."

He blinked, startled. "Does this mean that I will get one?"

Sasami nodded. "I'll get to that. While all of this was happening, Tsunami was still trapped inside her own tree. She knew that her sister goddess was coming, but, for reasons that I'm not going to go into, Tsunami couldn't defeat her sister as she was. That's where I came in," she murmured softly.

"I don't get it. What do you have to do with all of this?" Tenchi scratched his head in confusion.

"Tsunami caused an earthquake just as I was playing on that walkway up there." Sasami pointed to the walkway, shuddering involuntarily. "I landed right where you're sitting. I couldn't survive such a fall, so she merged with me." She stopped, giving Tenchi time to assimilate the information.

His eyes bugged out, and he gasped, "What are you saying?" he demanded.

She shrugged. "I'm Tsunami."

He stared at her. "Y-y-you?" Sasami smiled teasingly at his discomfort.

"Aeka told you that I have certain abilities. I can see the future sometimes, and I usually know what people are thinking and feeling. Some of these talents are the original Tsunami's, but some come strictly from me. Together, we are stronger than we could ever have been."

She glanced at the door, sensing the darkness in some of Kagato's thoughts. "We're almost out of time. So, to make a long story even longer, I am now Tsunami. We finally completed the merge a few days ago. When we became one, Tsunami pulled that bit of herself out of the tree." She glanced up at the tree. "That's why it looks like it's dying. She kept it alive for even longer than a normal tree. It's spent so long as one half of a bonded pair that it doesn't remember how to operate on its own. It needs another bond." She smiled mischievously at Tenchi. "Feel up to it?" she queried.

He continued to gape. "Feel up to what?" he asked nervously.

"I already told you. This tree needs another bond. You don't have one, so you're perfect."

He gulped. "Do I really need to do this?" Sasami nodded vigorously. "You can't marry Aeka unless you have one." She stood. "Come on; it won't be that bad. You'll probably even like being bonded."

She pulled him to his feet, jerking his hand until he placed it back along the trunk. When he finally caught on, she laid one of her own against the bark. She began to chant, letting her power flow through both the tree and Tenchi. The tree began to glow white, and Tenchi gasped and shivered. He pulled abruptly away, gazing with wide, shocked eyes at the room around him. "They-they're alive!" he whispered. Sasami started to laugh helplessly.

As she struggled for breath and wiped tears from her eyes, Tenchi bowed respectfully to the other beings in the room. Sasami could sense Tenchi's mental voice, and she respected his privacy by not listening. Whatever he said, the trees began to light up in greeting. One by one, they started to glow, and the room became almost unbearably bright. Tenchi bowed one last time, and the lights slowly faded. He turned back to Sasami, knowledge filling his dark eyes. He didn't realize the importance of what had just happened. She smiled, wrapping him in a quick, sisterly hug. "Welcome to the family, Tenchi," she murmured.


	12. Weddings

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tenchi spent the next few days secluded in the holy room. Understanding his need to spend time with his tree, Sasami made his excuses to her family. She even arranged to have his meals brought to him, though she seriously doubted that he actually ate anything. Sasami knew that his body was still getting used to the changes caused by the bond, and that he did not need any sustenance beyond what the tree could provide. Sasami gave him time alone in the holy room, keeping everyone else out.

Sasami, too, spent quite a bit of time alone in the garden. She still had a few loose ends that she needed to tie up. First, she had to dispose of the Tsunami I. As with the tree, she'd already pulled back the bits of herself that the ship had contained. Though Sasami knew that Tenchi could defend the planet well enough, but she still didn't want to remove all of her protection. To that end, she diverted some of the ship's old power to create defensive satellites around the planet. She also gave them some of her ability to sense thought. Even if the leaders of the planet were not aware of a threat, these satellites would kick in with just the slightest negative thought from an outsider. Until such a threat arrived, they would remain invisible and more importantly, undetectable. Like the Tsunami I, they would eventually become the stuff of legend.

Unfortunately, such an undertaking required hours' worth of concentrated effort. Sasami secluded herself in her rooms, sitting cross- legged on her floor, eyes closed in meditation. Had anyone actually seen her during this time, they would have been shocked by the waves of blue- green energy surrounding her slender body. The power around her was so great that the rugs and floorboards beneath her were beyond recognition. Unlike regular machines, her satellites ran on energy, not wiring or gadgets. To get the satellites to work efficiently, Sasami had to mentally design each and every part, and then project that design onto a physical structure. She was so weak by the time she was done that she simply collapsed where she was, unable to move so much as a finger.

She finally came to when a loud, insistent pounding echoed on her door. She couldn't stand as of yet, but she did manage to call in a faint voice, "Come in." She released the shields she'd placed on her door, pulling the energies back into herself. That little bit of energy gave her enough strength to push herself into a sitting position just as several people streamed into her rooms.

Aeka, Kamadake, Taki, and Mahonori stared at Sasami's pale form in shock. Her skin was deathly white, and sweat gleamed over her entire body. Her robes were as wrinkled as if she'd been wearing them for several days on end, and her normally glossy hair was limp. Most startling of all, her pink eyes were dull and lifeless.

Aeka and Kamadake ran to her, pulling her all the way to her feet. Sasami managed to stand for only a moment before her knees buckled and she started to collapse again. Kamadake just barely caught her, swinging her up into his arms. "Where's her bed?" he demanded, and Aeka pointed to the adjoining room. Kamadake kicked the door open, and ran towards the bed, Sasami still clutched tightly. He laid her gently on the bed as Aeka entered with a glass of water. Aeka held the water to Sasami's lips, forcing her younger sister to drink.

When Sasami indicated that she'd had enough water, Aeka put the glass down on a low table and sat next to her sister on the bed. "What happened?" queried Aeka softly, stroking her sister's damp hair.

Sasami struggled to keep her eyes open. "Nothing for you to worry about, Aeka. It's all taken care of, now. The planet is safe, no matter what stunt Tokima pulls next."

Her eyes started to close, but Kamadake demanded angrily, "Was it that witch-woman from the labyrinth?"

Sasami's eyes fluttered open, but she was too weak even to smile. "No," she whispered just before she fell asleep. She was so far gone that she didn't hear her sister and Kamadake arguing about which of them should stay beside her until she woke.

_For the first time in many weeks, Sasami was back in the dream-world. Once again, she was at Tenchi's trial, waiting for her friend to be executed for crimes that he hadn't committed. Unlike her previous vision, however, this Tenchi was in his wedding robes. Aeka, too, was in her wedding gown, and the entire room was bedecked in garlands of flowers and ribbon. Looking around the room, Sasami could tell that the wedding must have already been in progress when Kagato interrupted. At least, I was right about the timetable, Sasami mused to herself.  
_  
_Her father started speaking, and Sasami was relieved to realize that she could hear him this time around. "Tenchi, son of Nagayugi, grandson of Yosho, you have been accused of treason against the throne of Jurai. Have you anything to say for yourself?"__ Her father's voice was cold, though Sasami could tell that accusing__ his daughter's husband hurt him more than he could ever show.___

_As in her first vision, Tenchi stood tall and proud. "I have nothing to say," he said, "except to avow my own innocence in this matter. I have never, in my entire life, killed another __living being. I did not kill this man."__  
_  
_The emperor's shoulders slumped almost unnoticeably. "Nevertheless, lord Kagato has provided more than enough evidence against you. I cannot do otherwise than to declare you guilty of treason and murder. The p__unishment for your crimes, Tenchi of the planet Earth, is death."__ He motioned for the guards to raise their weapons.___

_As the guards fired, Aeka threw herself between their energy beams and Tenchi. A great cry went up among the assembled crowds, and Sasam__i felt her sister dying. Two similar howls erupted from both Tenchi and Kagato, though only Tenchi was able to clasp the dying princess in his arms. As Kagato lost his last shred of sanity, he leapt for the nearest guard. In the ensuing chaos, only Sasami saw him knock out the guard and steal the man's gun. Kagato lifted his arm and pointed it at Tenchi. Even in his madness, his aim was perfect. Tenchi crumpled beside Aeka, shot through the heart. Unknown to the rest of the court, Jurai died with him. _

_Tokima's insane laughter echoed through the throne room._

Sasami woke up with a gasp. The room around her was dark, and her heart was racing madly. She lay still for several seconds, waiting patiently for her body to stop shaking. "How long do we have left?" she whispered to the furry shadow nestled in her arms. "How long before that vision comes to be? What can I do to prevent it?" She sighed and slid off her bed. She still felt out of sorts, but she was no longer quite so weak. If she concentrated, Sasami could just make out her sister's purple hair in the darkness. She tiptoed over to the man-sized window, careful not to disturb the sleeping form of Aeka. Ryo-oki followed, climbing up one of the curtains until she could jump onto Sasami's head. "What do you want, Tokima?" Sasami murmured softly into the night. "How can I save you?"__

A boot scuffed against the hard floors, and Sasami whirled to face Kamadake. He was standing in a darkened alcove, body and face equally controlled and motionless. Sasami stared at him, wondering how he, unlike every other being in the universe, could escape her extraordinary senses. "How do you always manage to sneak up on me?" Sasami wondered out loud.

Kamadake didn't answer. He just put a finger to his lips, jerking his head towards Aeka. Sasami nodded, and the two of them slipped from the room.

"How are you feeling, princess?" Kamadake asked hesitantly as Sasami quietly shut the door behind them.

"Much better, thank you," she smiled brightly. She glanced in the mirror hanging on one of the walls. "But, by the universe, I look awful!" Her hair was standing up at odd angles, and her face was still deathly pale. Her clothes were crumpled frightfully.

"You look beautiful," Kamadake whispered sincerely.

Sasami blushed. "You're sweet," she replied. "Wrong, but sweet." She took a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of being awake and alive. "I'm going to take a long, hot bath," she grinned.

He was about to answer, but the door to the bedroom was thrown open by a fuming Aeka. "Out!" she yelled at Kamadake. "Suitors are not allowed inside a lady's room!" Aeka stormed up to Kamadake, shaking a finger purposely in his face. He blushed deeply and left.

Aeka and Sasami both stared after him, expressions of equal shock on their faces. "Did he just...?" Aeka shook her head in disbelief. "I'd have never thought that I'd see something as unbelievable as Kamadake blushing." She turned to her aqua-haired sister, whose cheeks were just as furiously red. Aeka started laughing, and she didn't stop for a very long time.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Only a few days later, Aeka locked herself in a room with a team of women. She emerged, several hours later, wearing a gown that would have stunned any male within a thousand miles. The only thing more stunning than the gown was the princess contained inside it. Aeka's hair was pulled back into her customary headpiece, but the glossy purple tresses were not tied into thousands of long ropes. Precious stones were buried throughout her hair, gleaming softly. Her tall, slender form was draped in layers of satiny, white cloth, and her tiny feet were encased in delicate, handmade slippers. Her eyes were shining, and she looked absolutely exquisite.

Sasami too, had been forced into a room with Aeka's team. Sasami wore blue robes trimmed with green and gold, and her blue hair was pulled back from her face by a ringlet of gems. As was her wont, she wore very little jewelry, but, once again, her sparkling eyes were all that she needed. Her normally pale skin was slightly flushed, and her kishtake glowed slightly with her joy. Sasami was almost as excited as Aeka about the wedding. The only shadow on her joy was the fact that she knew Tokima was about to attack through Kagato. Still, she had her own plans, and she suspected that Aeka would still manage to wed her Tenchi, in spite of everything.

Aeka could barely keep herself properly poised as she threaded her way to the throne room, Sasami and attendants close behind. The two smiling guards pushed the doors open, and Aeka entered a room completely changed through the clever use of flowers and ribbons. Her father and his smiling queens waited on the other end of the assembled court, as did Tenchi. As she entered, the musicians began to play and the crowds parted to let her through. Allowing Sasami to proceed her, Aeka walked slowly up the aisle.

As Sasami moved aside, Aeka caught her first glimpse of Tenchi in his wedding attire. Like her, he was all in white satin. His clothes were trimmed with gold threads, and a diamond-studded sword hung at his waist. He was smiling, eyes bright with love for her. She couldn't resist her own smile, though custom demanded that she keep a straight face. As she came closer, Tenchi held out his hands for hers. She couldn't take her eyes off him as she joined him before her father.

Her father began the ceremony, pausing only for a moment when a bright, blue-green light flared along the walls and floors. The light filled the doorways and windows, and Aeka cast a single, inquisitive glance towards her sister. Her sense of foreboding disappeared from Aeka's heart as she glimpsed her sister's peaceful, happy smile. _Just a precaution, sister mine_, Sasami's gentle voice sounded in Aeka's head. Now, no enters or leaves this room without my permission. Smiling in understanding, Aeka turned back to her chosen husband.

The ceremony continued without further interruptions, and within moments Aeka was lawfully wedded to Tenchi. For the life of her, Aeka could not have remembered a word of her vows. Her entire being was concentrated on Tenchi alone, as was his with her. Sasami smiled benevolently over them all.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

The second the ceremony finished, the bright lights around the walls faded, flowing back into Sasami like water in a stream. The glow faded from the strange triangles on her forehead, and tears shone in her bright eyes.

Aeka leaned in to kiss her new husband once more, but was suddenly thrust away by a bruising hand. Aeka had just enough time to see several impossibly large men grab Tenchi before she was spun around to face her own keeper. Kagato stood before her, dark eyes furious. "What are you doing, Kagato?!" she demanded angrily. The young lord didn't answer, choosing instead to unsheathe the sword at his waist. He pointed the sword at Tenchi, keeping his fist wrapped painfully around Aeka's wrist. "This man is unworthy!" he shouted. "He is guilty of the worst crimes a man can commit!"

The emperor stared at the scene before him, eyes hard and serious. "What crimes has my new son committed, Kagato?"

The emperor's words only enraged the tall lord further. "He is no son of Jurai," he hissed. "He has murdered one of your own commanders, killing the man in the most brutal of fashions. He is a killer, and therefore not worthy of your precious daughter! Strike him down, now, before he can harm anyone else!"

Aeka tried to pull her hand free. "Let me go, Kagato! You're hurting me!"

Kagato gazed blankly down at her, and then at their connecting limbs. Looking almost sheepish, he released the amethyst-haired princess. She glared at him, rubbing the new bruises on her wrist with her other hand.

The emperor, meanwhile, had stood. He glared down at Kagato. "Have you the evidence with which to back up your claims, Kagato?" he demanded imperiously.

Kagato gestured to two of his men, who nodded vigorously. "We have all the evidence your majesty could desire," one of them squeaked nervously.

He handed a paper to the emperor's steward, who glanced over it before giving it to his ruler. If anything, the emperor's face became even harder as he read. Finally, he gave the paper back to the steward, who would file it away for future reference. The emperor turned back to Kagato, regret clear on his face. "Tenchi, son of my son's line, you are hereby accused of treason against the crown of Jurai. The punishment for this crime is death." He glared at Kagato before commanding the guards to take his son-in-law away.

Aeka protested loudly, but Kagato latched onto her wrist once more, silencing her with pain.

The words were different, but Sasami knew just what the inevitable outcome would be if she didn't step in. She allowed Tsunami's authoritive air fall over her like a cloak as she moved towards the strained tableau in front of her. Seeing her, the guards stood aside as she went to Tenchi. She placed a gentle hand on the shoulders of one of the men holding him, and he dropped his weapon. Sasami repeated this action with each of the guards, and eventually Tenchi was completely free.

Kagato watched her actions with narrowed eyes. He stared hard at the slender princess in front of him, suspicion and hatred in his eyes. Sasami gazed back at him, understanding sudden in her own face. _You cannot win, Tokima_, she thought at the dark presence inhabiting Kagato's mind.

_Perhaps not_, the goddess thought back, _but at least you will not succeed, either. Your friends will die, and your life will end without my even lifting a finger against you. Your heart has always been your greatest weakness.  
_  
Sasami allowed herself one tiny, secretive smile before she pulled her mind away from Kagato's. "Your allegations are false, lord Kagato, and well you know it. Tenchi is innocent."

"With what evidence do you back up your claims, daughter?" Her father's face was still stone.

Sasami gazed up at him, but a daughter's natural obedience was gone from her eyes and posture. Instead, the power in her face was strong enough to make even the emperor want to bow to her. She held up a hand, letting a ball of blue-green energy form in her palm. "This is my proof," she murmured, lobbing the ball at Kagato. It bounced harmlessly off the white shields suddenly surrounding him.

"Kagato belongs to a different master, father. These shields are of her making. Everything he has done was done for her. Still, I do not have the time to further prove my own statement of innocence. A different solution is necessary." She lifted a delicate eyebrow. "Perhaps Kagato himself has an answer for you. Kagato?"

The man stared at her, as surprised by her challenge as her father was. He thought hard, eyes darting back and forth from Aeka to Sasami. Finally, his face calmed, and Sasami once again felt Tokima's influence.

"I challenge Tenchi to a duel of honor," he sneered at the wide-eyed young prince. "To the death. The winner takes both Aeka and the future throne of Jurai."

Once again, Aeka cried out. Sasami just nodded imperially. "So shall it be," she intoned, flashes of Tsunami's dark sense of humor pushing the corners of her lips into a half-smile.

Kagato signaled his men, and they backed away to form a circle around the two combatants. Kagato pulled the wicked-looking sword from his belt, pointing it menacingly at Tenchi. Tenchi glanced around for a weapon. Finding none, he prepared to take out his opponent with his bare hands. Sasami shook her head in resignation. Even after all of her training, Tenchi still forgot to use the power within him. "Tenchi," she called, and he acknowledged her with a brief flicker of his eyes. "Use the power inside yourself. Show Kagato, and everyone else in this room, just what you can do."

He nodded briefly, and closed his eyes. Kagato was so enthralled by Tenchi's audacity that he missed his one chance to attack.

Though only a very few people in the room could see it, Tenchi was surrounded by pale bluish-white energy. It flickered over his body for a few seconds, finally pooling around his hands. Each of these wells of energy coalesced into bright beams of light in front of him. Tenchi reached out with both hands, grabbing the beams in a firm grip. As soon as he'd latched fully onto them, the lights flared into a gleaming sword and a solid shield. The swords in both men's hands glowed with power. Tenchi lifted his blue-white blade and struck. Kagato effortlessly blocked with his own red-black weapon.

The resulting blow arched painfully through the floorboards, and several people covered their ears in an attempt to drown out the sound of metal striking metal. Even Sasami wanted to wince. Aeka, too, covered her ears. As she watched her husband battling his enemy, she fled to her sister. "Please help him!" she cried in an anguished voice.

Sasami stared at Aeka, quelling with difficulty the heartache that her sister's words caused. _Aeka doesn't realize what she's done_, Sasami chided herself. _Don't resent her thoughtless words. She doesn't understand that she's just called on the goddess, not her sister. I will never be just her sister again_. Masking the pain in her eyes, Sasami gazed coolly at Aeka. "Tenchi must do this on his own," she admonished softly. "I cannot interfere."

Aeka's eyes narrowed with her own pain, and she muttered rebelliously, "Can not, or will not? Tenchi might die without your aid."

Sasami again stifled her own emotions, letting her better judgment rule her feelings. "Then he will die," she murmured, "and Jurai will fall. He must defeat Kagato alone, or not at all."

Aeka's eyes widened, and she spun away from Sasami.

Sasami understood. She did not resent her sister's actions. _One day,_ she vowed, _Aeka will understand mine._

Meanwhile, the battle between the two noblemen continued. They were evenly matched, neither man possessing greater sword skill. Tenchi, however, had one advantage. While Kagato's power was borrowed from Tokima, Tenchi's strength was his own. Kagato's energy was fixed, and Tenchi's was not. If the need arose, Tenchi could call on greater reserves than Kagato had access to. Tenchi would inevitably win.

The battle raged on. Though Aeka could not know, Sasami was, indeed, helping her brother-in-law. She sent her mind into Kagato's once more, pushing on Tokima's essence with all the force she could muster. Slowly, Sasami expelled Tokima's thoughts from Kagato's twisted mind. Inch by inch, Kagato regained himself. Sasami gave one final push, and Tokima was gone. Deep in a green, leafy labyrinth, a woman started to howl in pain and rage. Sasami ignored Tokima's cries, turning back to the fight.

Kagato did not show any signs of faltering. Even though he was now bereft of Tokima's power, he still possessed great skill of his own. If anything, he had become stronger alone. Now, he could follow his own desires, not the dark goddess'. Tenchi, too, had not weakened. He still attacked and parried with a grace that few men could achieve, but he was becoming tired. In spite of her resolve not to interfere with the mortals' battle, she knew that she must help Tenchi if he was to succeed.

"Tenchi, you are not trusting in your own abilities. Channel the power of the light hawk."

He grunted, blocking yet another of Kagato's blows. "I can't!" he protested. "I don't have enough energy left!"

Sasami groaned_. Silly mortals_, she thought. _Can't do anything without help. _"You haven't been listening to anything I've said! Think about it, Tenchi! You. Are. Linked. To. Tsunami's. Tree!" She pointed a finger at him to emphasize her point. "Your bonded is the very first tree to bond with a human! It is the mother of every other bond-plant on this planet!"

His eyes widened in comprehension. "I get it!" he cried, enthusiastic in spite of the fact that he was in the middle of a fight to the death. "My tree is linked to every other bond-tree on Jurai!"

Aeka stared at them both. "So what?" she asked, looking from one smiling face to the other.

Sasami smiled at her sister. "Bonded mortals can channel the energies of their trees into their own bodies," she explained, keeping her voice low so Kagato would not hear. "As the trees produce more seedlings, they remain linked to their child-plants. The bonded mortal of a parent tree can also access the seedlings' powers. Since Tenchi is linked to the mother of them all, he can command all of the bonds. He can even call on the energies of the mortals attached, though he knows better than to try."

She grinned at her sister's confused expression. "The strength of Jurai lies in the royals' abilities to channel energy into the wings of the light hawk. All of us carry some of that ability, but very few have access to enough energy to pull it off. Of all the beings in this universe, only two people can act as a channel for all that energy. One, of course, is myself. The other is Tenchi. Of the mortals, he alone can call on the power of Jurai, because he alone is linked to everything."

As their discussion continued, Tenchi had already backed a considerable distance away from Kagato. He let his shield disappear, focusing instead on his sword. He brought both hands together at the hilt, which was glowing even more brightly than before. Sasami, along with every bonded mortal in the room, suddenly heard the whisperings of their tree- mates. If she closed her eyes, Sasami could just make out that the leaves on the plants had changed color, echoing the appearance of their sister plants on a far-away planet. Tenchi was drawing as much strength from this image of his birth planet as he was from the trees. Unknowingly, he'd changed the trees of Jurai until they resembled those of Earth.

_This must be what Earth looks like in the autumn,_ Sasami thought in wonder. _Small wonder my brother wants to go back so badly. It's truly beautiful._

Suddenly, the vision around her faded, replaced by the stark reality of the blades in the hands of Tenchi and Kagato. Tenchi slowly opened his eyes, which focused sharply on Kagato. His wedding clothes faded, only to be replaced by the black and white battle attire of the ancient knights. His sword, too, changed again. It's blade now copied the three-pronged shape of Kagato's weapon, though their preferred colors remained.

Knowing that the light show was now over, both men charged. Their cries of battle rage seemed to echo along the walls and floors, and once again Sasami wanted to cover her ears. As the two blades joined, a bright flash of light blinded everyone, even Sasami. When the light faded, the two men were on opposite sides of the arena. Both were on their knees, matching expressions of agony on their faces. Kagato, alone, managed to stand. He turned to face Tenchi, and then glanced over at Sasami's calm face. "Well done, Tsunami," he murmured. "Well done, indeed."

She just gazed silently back at him, waiting for the combatants' wounds to become visible. She didn't have to wait long, for within seconds a bright light flared diagonally along Kagato's body. She glanced over at Tenchi, seeing a similar gash along his chest. Tenchi grunted, pain-forming droplets of sweat across his forehead. Tenchi's cut flared with white light, and Sasami heard the sound of flesh knitting back together. The light on Tenchi faded, not leaving a trace of the cut behind. Kagato's slash, on the other hand, only grew wider and wider as the seconds ticked by. He continued to smile, even though the cut had now split in two and was traveling across his chest. The light flared across his body, taking his flesh with it. "The boy is a credit to your skill," Kagato said, the smile still on his face as he faded away into silvery ash. Sasami lifted a hand, and a brisk wind blew into the room, sliding under window and doorframes. The breeze took the ash with it, and Kagato's dark thoughts finally faded from Sasami's mind.

She took a deep breath, watching Aeka run to her husband's side. Tenchi leaned on Aeka's smaller shoulders, using his wife as a support to stand. His battle clothes faded, returning to the white robes he'd worn previously. Sasami smiled at their identical expressions of relief, gratitude, and love. Sensing that Tenchi was still in pain, Sasami wandered over to the pair. She leaned over and touched her _kishtaka_ to Tenchi's forehead, letting a small portion of her own energy flow into him. He took a lungful of air, reveling in his new power. Sasami smiled again and stepped back, allowing Aeka to wrap her arms around him as if she would never let go.


	13. Battle Preparations

CHAPTER TWELVE

Tenchi and Aeka's battle was now over. They could relax, knowing that the biggest threat to their happiness was gone. In the next few days, they were rarely out of each other's company, and everyone who saw them felt their own spirits lifting.

The greater threat to the universe, and, by extension, Jurai, still remained, however. The emperor, having formally acknowledged Tenchi as the next heir to the throne, included his young son-in-law in the preparations for the coming army. Sasami removed herself from all of this, though her father tried every method that he could think of to bring her to his side. Sasami always listened to him patiently, keeping her mouth shut and her powers locked away. It hurt her to see the power-lust in his eyes, so she eventually learned to just avoid him altogether. Instead, she hid in the one place that her father would never go: the main cargo bay of the palace. Sasami would climb into the cockpit of her ship, where she could remain in peace and solitude.

About a week after the wedding, a tingling along her spine interrupted Sasami's meditations. Sasami smiled and slid the hatch of her ship aside. She climbed down, ecstatic to see Washu's pink-haired form. Surprising them both, Sasami gripped Washu in a hug fierce enough to make her mother proud. When Washu finally regained her composure and ability to breathe," she grinned up at Sasami's taller form.

Before Sasami could even open her mouth in a verbal greeting, Washu said, "Some wedding, wasn't it? You did a really 'bang up' job, Tsunami."

Sasami grinned back. "I just helped a little, that's all. Tenchi really did all the work."

Washu's eyes narrowed, and she protested, "Yes, but who trained the boy? Who taught him to call on his powers?"

Sasami shrugged dismissively. "I only did for him what the first Tsunami did for the original Sasami."

Washu considered her sister-goddess' words as they left the cargo bay. "I never did understand why Tsunami insisted on training Sasami. I mean, if those two were going to merge anyway, wouldn't Sasami automatically know what Tsunami did?"

Sasami's face became thoughtful. "Not necessarily. Even after our merge, Tsunami managed to keep some things from Sasami, things that would just hurt her. Tsunami wanted to give the merged version of them both a second chance. She trained Sasami because that half of them still didn't understand everything. Tsunami had to make sure that every single particle of them understood their power. She didn't want to leave anything to chance."

Washu grunted cynically. "Very wise, was our Tsunami." The pink- haired goddess glanced at her sister. "She gave you that wisdom, at least."

Sasami sighed tiredly. "If I was truly wise, I would leave Jurai right now. I don't want anymore of my loved ones to get hurt, Washu. I don't want Tokima to get hurt, either, but she will."

Washu gazed at Sasami with a thoughtful, surprised expression on her face. "Even after all she's done, you still care about Tokima? Don't you hate her?"

Sasami shrugged. "I could never hate her. She is my sister, and I would spare her, if I could." She stared down at her feet. "I just wish that I didn't have to destroy her. I know that deep down she is still the sister we used to know. She is still one third of our trio."

Washu wrapped a gentle arm around Sasami's shoulders as they walked. "You are wrong, little one. She is no longer that sister. She has changed, and she will kill you if she can. Don't let your guard down, Tsunami, especially now."

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

The weeks passed, and Sasami started to get antsy. She knew that Tokima was in the labyrinth, waiting for her. She also knew that she could not start this fight prematurely. Sasami had to wait for the army to arrive, since Tokima would be investing that much more of her power to control her minions. If Tokima's attention was divided, the plan growing steadily in Sasami's mind might just succeed. All she could do was wait patiently for Tokima to make the first move. Sasami ceased to plan, and just waited for the inevitable confrontation between herself and her elder sister.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

One bright, sunny morning, klaxons rang through the palace. Sasami had been sitting on one of the garden benches, contemplating the chaos of her life, when the bells thundered out. She gazed at the labyrinth, and she could almost hear Tokima's throaty chuckle. Her eyes saddened as she remembered all of the times her sister's chuckle had warmed Tsunami's heart. Now, though, the laugh was dark and malicious. Sasami shook off the memories and headed for the cargo bay.

She stumbled into sheer anarchy. Cadets and knights were running everywhere, trying to find their planes or loading ammunition. Some senior officers were trying valiantly to organize their underlings, though they were not having much success. Sasami was shoved into a corner, pushed by the hands of a careless soldier. She protested loudly, but her cries were drowned out by the general cacophony around her.

Suddenly, lieutenant Wyldon entered the room. Even in the fear of the moment, he stayed calm and collected. He lifted his cupped hands to his lips, sending such a loud whistle into the room that all movement abruptly stilled. The soldiers stared at him, waiting for guidance and clear instructions. Wyldon started calling orders, quickly organizing the men around him into groups. Within moments, every soldier and cadet was ready for takeoff. As the planes left the cargo bay, Wyldon finally spotted Sasami. She smiled warmly at him, and was rewarded by his fierce grin.

Knowing that the soldiers were in good hands, Sasami headed for the throne room. Though the situation was a great deal calmer here, Sasami could clearly see the frightened anticipation on the faces of her father and brothers. Aeka and the queens were not present, since they were in charge of the medical aspect of the war. Sasami knew that they'd be in the medical bay, arranging beds and bandages for the future wounded. As she stood in the doorway, Sasami's father glanced up and saw her. He grunted, granting permission for her to enter. Sasami sauntered over to the men, glancing at the map of their system as she passed. Her eyes darkened momentarily as she noticed just how many of the enemy there were, and just how slender their own forces were in comparison.

The men around her father parted momentarily to let her through. She neared her father's person, but he ignored her for the moment. Instead, he turned back to his assembled generals. "The enemy is approaching in three groups," he said, pointing to each of the groups in turn. "According to our lookouts, their weaponry is not as advanced as ours. In fact, their ships are basically being held together by will alone. If we attack them in a frontal assault with our own vessels, they will not stand a chance."

Sasami shook her head. True, the enemy's ships were nowhere near the same level as those of Jurai. However, Sasami doubted very much that Tokima would leave her minions defenseless. Not that the dark goddess cared about them, of course, but she wouldn't want to fail on any level.

As her father continued to plan their attacks, Sasami shook her head slightly. "No, father, your plan will not do."

Every head swiveled around to stare at her, and her father's eyes darkened with anger. She continued before he could dress her down for contradicting him in public. "I have seen these ships before, father. They may look like they belong in a junk yard, but they carry powerful weapons."

Her father glared at her, but Tenchi and Yosho looked thoughtful. Sasami pulled out the data chip that Washu had so generously provided. She plugged it into the viewer, and a diagram of an enemy ship appeared. "See these?" she asked, pointing to several bulges on the ship. "These bulkheads contain very specialized, very powerful weapons. One blast, and our entire fleet could be destroyed."

Her father crossed his arms over his chest. "How did you come by this information, daughter?"

Sasami shrugged, meeting her father's shrewd eyes with her own, straight gaze. "I come by my knowledge honestly, father. That is all you really need to know. Now," she said, turning back to the screen, "I know this enemy. Their weapons are strong, but difficult to maneuver. If our forces surround them quickly enough, they will not even be able to fire."

Yosho stared long and hard at the information before him. "If this data is correct, our ships would have to move at a speed far beyond their current capabilities. How do you intend to get around our own limitations, Sasami?"

Sasami nodded briskly. "The Galaxy Police have been experimenting with a new system," she explained. "These new ships are faster, better armed, and almost impossible to control."

One of her father's older generals stared at her, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "No offense, princess, but perhaps you'd better leave. Your ideas, though full of merit, are impossible. Even if the Galaxy Police were willing and able to lend us some of these newfangled ships, we don't have time for them to arrive. This battle is hopeless."

Sasami glared angrily at the pompous old man, but her father beat her to the lecture his general so richly deserved. "My daughter has come this far, general. I am willing to let her finish." He nodded to Sasami, who smiled gratefully at him.

"When I returned to Jurai, I was accompanied by an entire unit of the new ships. As we speak, the pilots of these fighters have joined our own forces. They only await your command, father, to begin."

The emperor nodded once, and a messenger was immediately dispatched with the orders. Within seconds, the cadets had engaged the enemy. Sasami watched the dots representing their own forces on her father's viewer. They surrounded the enemy markers, which were suddenly gone. Sasami allowed herself a single, satisfied smile. None of the people in the room could read the thoughts behind that stony mask of hers, and they certainly couldn't see the way her emotions were roiling within her.

Sasami abruptly turned to her father. "Papa," she whispered, keeping her voice as low as she could. "I have to go, now." She smiled sadly, and her eyes became even more sad. "I love you," she murmured as she started to leave.

Her father nodded, perhaps sensing the farewell in her words.

If Sasami was successful, her father would never know the magnitude of what she was about to do. If she was not¦he'd be dead anyway. Either way, she would not return as his daughter. From this point on, she would always be the goddess, never his youngest child. That part of her life was over for good.

Sasami slipped outside, never looking back. The greatest challenge of her life was before her, and she still wasn't certain that she was ready. The next few moments would determine the course of the universe itself, but Sasami was more concerned with the fates of her loved ones. She ran toward the labyrinth, where her own fate awaited her.


	14. Shields

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tokima waited in the labyrinth, growing angrier by the moment, for her sisters to arrive. Her anger stretched into the plants and earth around her, altering the appearance of the labyrinth. Rocks crumpled into dust, vines shriveled in the heat of her anger. She could sense both of their presences nearby, but they hadn't deigned to show themselves as of yet. Finally, Tokima couldn't wait any longer. Deciding to punish her fellow goddesses for taking so long, Tokima lifted her hand with the intention of destroying the entire palace. Maybe this would teach Tsunami and Washu not to treat her so badly…

As Tokima gathered her energies, she suddenly sensed Tsunami's altered aura. Tokima dropped her hand, letting the energies return to her. Footsteps crunched on the grass as a tall, proud figure stepped into the center of the maze. "Hello, Tokima," greeted the soft, sad voice of Tsunami.

As the girl came fully into view, Tokima scowled at her. "Tsunami," she hissed. The girl inclined her head slightly, still gazing sadly at her sister's assumed form. "It's about time," Tokima snapped. "Where's that other fool?"

A second form joined Tsunami. Washu's hair contrasted sharply with Tsunami's, but her emerald eyes were just as sad. "It's been a long time, Tokima," Washu murmured. Even Tokima's insanity allowed her to nod a greeting to the middle sister. The three of them hadn't been in one place in eons, and Tokima wanted to laugh at the irony of their situation. Still, her sisters had to be punished for their neglect. "Finally, we can get started." Tokima gazed long and hard at Tsunami, the stronger of her two sisters. "One last chance, Tsunami," Tokima said. "You can still join me, and together we can destroy the mortals. I will forget what you have done, though I will never completely forgive."

Tsunami shook her head, eyes heavy with grief. "No, Tokima. You know I can't do that. I couldn't abandon my friends any more than I could abandon you."

Tokima gave a quick, harsh bark of laughter. "Abandon me?" she howled mirthlessly. "You can barely even stand up to me! How, then, could you have enough influence over me that your leaving would make a difference?"

Tsunami's eyes drooped. "I'm already standing up to you, sister. Or have you so easily forgotten our last encounters?"

Anger welled up in Tokima, twisting her insides as painfully as a knife. "I have not forgotten. I never forget," she hissed, feeling pain shooting along her shoulder from the old wound. "You will pay for that, sister. You will pay with the lives of your friends, of your mortal family. Your power was never strong enough to defy me for long."

Tsunami shook her head, struck anew by her sister's folly. "It is not my power that you should fear, sister. You are correct when you say that I was never strong enough. You are my sister, and I could never willingly hurt you. But," she lifted her chin, "Sasami is."

Tokima stared at Tsunami. "What are you blathering on about?" she demanded.

Washu's eyes glinted. "You've thought, all along, that Tsunami changed her form so she could combat you herself. You never suspected that perhaps, just perhaps, Tsunami had a different plan in mind."

Tsunami cut in as her pink-haired sister quieted. "It is not Tsunami's power that will defeat you, Tokima. It is mine." Tsunami's pink eyes were hard. "You keep saying that my greatest weakness is my love for the mortals. In fact, it is my greatest strength. The first Tsunami could never hurt you; she let you get away for your own sake. But," her voice hardened to match her eyes, "I have more than one sister to protect. I also have Washu, and I have Aeka. I choose them."

Tokima stared at Tsunami, not understanding her sister's point. A tear trickled down Tsunami's cheek as she continued. "I care more for Aeka than I do for the entire universe. I would do anything for her. To protect her, as well as all that she loves, I will stop you." She sighed. "As much as it will hurt us both, I will protect Aeka."

"You can try," Tokima snarled as she lifted a hand to attack. She sent a bolt of silver fire at Tsunami, who dodged it with alacrity. The bolt hurtled past, narrowly missing a few wisps of blue hair. As Tsunami countered with a blue bolt of her own, Washu disappeared through one of her black portals. Tokima let the immortal genius go, knowing as she did that Tsunami was the greater threat. Tsunami, herself, didn't react much beyond a single nod of farewell. Still, her eyes glinted with knowledge, wisdom that Tokima feared. Too late, she realized her mistake. "Where is she?" Tokima screamed as she threw another bolt at Tsunami, who collapsed to the ground under the assault.

The girl grinned in spite of herself, a grin that sent chills down Tokima's spine. "Washu may not have our power, sister of mine, but she does have that miraculously swift brain of hers. She can't get involved directly, but she can put a shield around this place that will keep both your body and your power locked away."

Even as Tsunami finished speaking, a glittery ball of magic appeared in the sky high above them. The ball exploded in a flash of lightning, sending waves of sparkly mist cascading to the ground. By the time it was finished, a solid barrier stood between Tokima and freedom. She howled in rage and shock, throwing her own magic at the shields. The shields fizzled and sparked, but held strong. Tokima's powers recoiled back on her, stinging like wasps against her sensitive skin. She screamed again in fury, fighting for control of her own abilities. The shields were draining her powers.

Tsunami struggled to get to her feet, still using that feral smile that seemed so at odds with her astoundingly beautiful face. Sweat beaded her brow, but the power around her body was fairly overwhelming. "Having trouble, Tokima?" she asked sarcastically. "You underestimated us again, dear one. Washu may not be like us, but she has great strengths of her own, and she designed those shields just for you. She knew exactly how you'd react, and what they'd do to you." The girl grunted in pain as she pulled herself to her feet. "You can't leave to hurt anyone else, and your minions are cut off from your support." She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, "Tsk, tsk, big sister. You should not have discounted Washu."

Tokima barely heard Tsunami's taunt. Her entire being was focused on the energies stinging her body. They lashed through her veins, causing more pain than anything she'd ever endured since time began. Tsunami's voice continued, not quite piercing the fog in Tokima's brain. "Such powers are not easy to control, Tokima, not even for one such as you. Give up now, and I'll make it stop, big sister."

Tokima turned her back on her sister, closing eyes whose pupils had suddenly turned red from anger. "Be quiet," Tokima hissed. She clenched her fingers into her palms with enough force that they bled. The pain in her palms was nothing compared to the pain in her mind. She latched onto that pain, letting it give her the strength to withdraw from the energy- draining shields. She jerked with such force that she fell over, coming to rest in on the hard labyrinth floor.

Growling in renewed fury, she wrenched herself from her undignified position and threw everything she had at Tsunami. Still, no matter how hard she tried, she could not get the better of her aqua-haired sister. Tsunami was stronger than ever; there was no doubt of that. She blocked every blow, every spell that Tokima tossed her way. Her responses were powerful and graceful, and much more than Tokima had ever expected to receive. Still, Tokima sensed immediately that Tsunami was holding something back. Tokima knew that Tsunami was more than capable of doing damage, but she obviously didn't want to hurt her elder sibling. Tokima hid her triumphant smile. She could use this…

Sasami ducked under yet another Levin ball of black fire. Her initial response was to return the attack with an even greater show of power, but she stayed her hand. She knew that she could beat Tokima quickly, if not easily, but she wasn't willing to hurt her sister. Tokima had been in her life for far too long. They'd been born only minutes apart, created by the universe at the moment of its own birth. They were two parts of a balance, two parts of a tightly knit family. They'd sprung into life as fully-grown entities, and so had never truly had a childhood. Still, when they'd first come to be, they'd been inexperienced, overly cautious, and much like children in spirit, if not in body. They'd made plenty of mistakes as they tried to rule over everything with sufficient wisdom. It had always been Tokima who'd led them, taught them the use of their powers. It was she who'd tested every theory, taken every chance. She hadn't wanted her sisters to get hurt if something went wrong. She had even trained Tsunami.

Now, though, something had changed drastically. Sasami could sense the imbalance in her sister's already fragile mind, and she suddenly doubted whether or not her plan would succeed. Tokima's link with reality was tenuous at best, and there was a twisted gleam in her eyes. Sasami realized that she must take the defensive, or neither of them would survive. She lifted her arms, and began her own strike.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

Kamadake waited beside Washu, huddled in a tiny alcove of the labyrinth. He glanced at the goddess beside him. As on so many other occasions, she seemed to know exactly what was happening in the minds of her two sisters. Kamadake didn't know whether to envy or pity the bright- haired genius. "That's it, Tsunami," she whispered, eyes still locked intently on the scene before her. "Fight back. Don't let her bully you."

Kamadake turned back to the perfect circle that Washu had cut into one of the bushes. Through it, the two of them could watch in undisturbed safety as the two goddesses fought. This was, of course, a mixed blessing, since Kamadake wanted more than anything else to be in there, helping Sasami in her struggles. However, he was smart enough to know that in a fight like this, he would only serve as a distraction. No matter how much he wanted to, he could not be with Sasami during this, her hardest moments.

As he watched, shaken to the core, Sasami lifted her arms high above her head. Winds sprang, unchecked, in the domed arena. They whipped around Sasami's hair and clothes, forming a maelstrom strong enough to knock Tokima off her feet. The goddess flew through the air, stopping only when she slammed against the white barrier. The shields crackled with disturbed electricity, but were not able to hold Tokima for more than a few seconds. As soon as she could stand, Tokima gestured with her own hands.

Vines whipped from the walls of the labyrinth, wrapping themselves around Sasami's slender body. Smaller tendrils escaped the plants around Kamadake and Washu, winding themselves through their hair and clothes. Kamadake brushed angrily at the strands entangled in his red hair, never taking his eyes from the battle inside the labyrinth.

The vines around Sasami grew, thickening until they were easily the size of tree trunks. They lifted the girl's slight form high into the air, tossing her around as though she were a doll in the hands of a careless child. Sasami gasped in pain, trying desperately to get enough oxygen as the vines crushed her lungs. Kamadake nearly gave away their position as he leapt to his feet in alarm. Just in time, Washu grabbed onto his robes, yanking him back down to the ground. She held a finger to her lips, and her green eyes sparkled in warning. "Tokima may not be able to send her power through the shields, but she can still use us as a weapon against Tsunami. We can't let her know we're here."

Kamadake shook her off. "Tokima already knows we're here," he snarled, shaking off her grasp. Indeed, the vines around them had already shifted, and Kamadake had to waste more effort to block them. The vines of the labyrinth were completely under Tokima's control. The only thing blocking them from Tokima's influence was Washu's shield. Finally, Washu, too, became sick of the vines yanking on her hair. She waved one of her hands negligently, and white shields of her own opened up around them, blocking the tendrils. Kamadake grunted gratefully, though he doubted that Washu heard. Like him, she was too caught up in the battle scene before her.

Sasami pushed against the vines wrapped around her body, but they were too thick and heavy to move. On the ground below her, Tokima watched with a cruel glint in her eyes. "Too tight, Tsunami?" She sneered. "Let me fix that for you." Tokima waved her hand once more, and the vines became even larger. They were so thick now that Sasami wondered idly why they hadn't exploded from the pressure within them.

Sasami abruptly stopped struggling. She knew that her answer lay in that last thought, but she was too dizzy to come up with a workable solution. As her vision became ever more hazy, another thought struck her pain-fogged brain. That was it!

Sasami yanked hard on her arm, trying desperately to pull it away from the vines. It was trapped between the vine and her body, and she was quite unable to move it. She did not give up, however, in spite of the pain. She just kept pulling at it, knowing that she would lose both consciousness and the fight at any moment. She tugged on her arm, feeling the skin tear as her limb scraped along the rough vine. Blood poured freely from her cuts, making it a little easier for her to pull free.

As soon as her arm was free, Sasami laid her hand weakly against the biggest portion of the vine around her body. She sent her power into the plant, adding it to the enormous amount that Tokima had already invested. Together, the energies proved to be too much for the simple plant. The energies sought a way out, being unable to stay together for long. The plant exploded, sending bits of leafy vine everywhere.

Tsunami dropped to the ground, unable to stop her own descent with her magic. She landed with a bone-sickening thud, limbs sprawled at impossible angles. Tokima waited for the movements that would show if Tsunami lived. When they didn't come, she crowed in triumph. "_I have won_!" she yelled.


	15. Ring

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kamadake watched in horror, his blood frozen, as Tokima shouted her success to the skies. He felt as though a piece of himself had just died, and he could do nothing more than stare in shock at Sasami's crumpled body.

Ignorant of his agony, Tokima continued her dance of fury. The dark goddess sent literally dozens of black fireballs at Sasami's form, ensuring that the girl had, in fact, died. As the bolts flew from her fingertips, they struck the ground around Sasami, throwing up a cloud of dust and debris. Kamadake ducked to the ground as thousands of pebbles hit his skin, thrown their way by the sheer intensity of the blast. Beside him, Washu also ducked.

When they were finally able to sit up again, they noticed that Tokima was now examining the shields closely. She poked the shields with a fingertip, hastily withdrawing it as they stung her skin. Grunting in annoyance, Tokima turned away. She paced the confines of her prison, looking for either a way out or the sister who had trapped her there. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" she sang. "The battle is over, Washu. Release the shields and I might spare you."

Kamadake ducked down, pulling Washu to the ground with him. He wouldn't let his grief keep him from protecting Sasami's final sister. With Sasami gone, the pink-haired genius might be their only hope of defeating Tokima. He glanced at Washu's face, fully expecting to find the same grief in her eyes that he knew must be showing in his. He inhaled sharply when he saw the dark humor in her emerald eyes. "She's not dead, you know," Washu whispered confidentially. "She's only faking it, so she can regain some of her strength."

His heart simply stopped beating while he processed the genius' words. Sasami couldn't possibly have survived such a fall and such a beating, could she? Still, Washu would be the first to know if her sister lived. Slowly, hope crept back into his soul, and the sheer joy on his normally impassive face made Washu giggle like a schoolgirl.

Her laughter, though muted, immediately brought Tokima. The goddess was before them before they had time to react, though she was still blocked by the shields. "I know you're there, Washu, you and that redhead that Tsunami is so attached to. Show yourselves!"

Kamadake and Washu crept away, hiding themselves behind yet another shrub. Tokima didn't follow them. Possibly, she hadn't heard their departure. "Tell me something," Kamadake whispered as they crouched behind a particularly large bush. "How is that you know that Sasami lives, when Tokima obviously does not? Aren't you all linked to each other?"

Washu shook her head slightly. "Tokima hasn't been around Tsunami in millennia, and they're not as attuned to each other as they used to be. In the old days, when we were still learning about our various abilities, we could tell what one of the others was doing at all times. Even if we were light years apart, we always knew where the other two were. Now, though, Tokima can't sense anything. That kind of sensing takes an extreme amount of concentration and skill, and Tokima is too insane to manage it. The most she can do is sense that we're somewhere near, but she'll never be able to pinpoint our exact location." She grunted. "I don't know why Tokima can't sense Tsunami, especially since Tsunami is only a few feet away and Tokima knows exactly where she is. I'm assuming that Tsunami has found some way to block her energy levels from Tokima's mind." She shrugged at her own lack of knowledge. "Or maybe Tsunami's power is being masked by all those bolts of Tokima's. With so much of her own power floating around, Tokima might not be able to sense Tsunami's life force at all."

Kamadake nodded, pretending that he understood, and turned back to watch Tokima.

Tokima prowled along the edge of the barrier like a wild animal. She may have defeated Tsunami, but her minions could not last long without her. Tokima didn't care if they lived or died, but she wanted to use them to destroy Jurai first. Only then, when Tsunami's dearest friends had died violently, would her triumph be complete. But to destroy the planet, she had to break free from this labyrinth.

Suddenly, Tokima stopped in her tracks. She spun, eyes round with shock and fear, as the smoke from her earlier blasts finally started to clear. Tokima watched in horror as the clouds of dust parted to reveal Tsunami's slender form. The girl stood straight, her hands folded calmly in the sleeves of her robes. Her jewel-like eyes were serious and determined. She could have been at a formal gathering, if it weren't for the blood smearing one of her sleeves, dripping to the ground to pool around her feet. Several other deep gashes marred her perfect face, and her hair was in total disarray. Her clothes were torn and soaked in blood, but Tsunami did not show any sign of the physical pain she must have been feeling.

"You!" shrieked Tokima, pointing a finger at her youngest sister. "How could you live after that?!"

Tsunami shook her head as she watched her sister's body shaking. "Enough talk, Tokima." She lifted a slender, heavily scratched hand, and the earth began to tremble. It rose up, breaking into great slabs of dirt under Tokima's feet.

Tokima struggled to maintain her balance as she glared fiercely at her sister. "Two can play at this game, Tsunami!" she roared, and lava erupted from between the cracks.

Acting like a living creature, the lava splashed towards Tsunami's feet. The woman looked dispassionately down at it. She glanced over to the water fountain in the center, which had miraculously stood through the upheavals. The fish at the top of the fountain suddenly expanded until it was several times the size of a mortal man. The water sprouting from its parted lips also became greater, forming a waterfall. The water leapt from the fountain, arcing through the sky until it came to the lava. The two mixed, resulting in a cloud of steam hot enough to burn the bits of leaves still on the ground from Tokima's earlier attack.

While the steam still blocked her from Tsunami's view, Tokima gestured again. Before the fight, climbing roses had grown in abundance around the fountain. When the fish grew under Tsunami's magic, these roses had been torn to shreds. With Tokima's help, the thorns from these plants became the size of swords. Their tips were covered in rose venom, which was now strong enough to seriously poison even Tsunami. They flew through the steam, heading for Tsunami's defenseless body. Tokima watched eagerly, waiting for Tsunami's inevitable scream.

The scream never came. Tokima peered into the cloud, trying to see if Tsunami had merely crumpled without a sound. With any luck, the rose- swords had pierced her heart and killed her instantly. Of course, Tokima suddenly mused, a quick death would deprive Tsunami of the torture Tokima had planned for her.

Just when Tokima was about to enter the steam cloud herself to see what had happened, the enlarged thorns came back at her, aimed for her throat and heart. Tokima sent up a wall of pure energy, and the thorns shattered on impact. Tokima stepped over the shards, waiting for Tsunami to make yet another appearance. When the girl finally did come out, Tokima sent the shards back towards her. As with Tokima, the shards hit another wall of energy. Now, there was not enough left of them to fight with. Tokima turned to find another weapon.

Having exhausted the readily available elements, Tokima sent a ring of fire, generated from her own power, at her sister. It circled the ground around Tsunami's feet, hot enough to kill even from a distance. As Tsunami flinched away, Tokima merely made the fire even hotter. The flames leapt high into the air, becoming taller than Tsunami by several feet. Tsunami threw an arm over her eyes, jerking her other hand wildly. Streams of ice flew from her outstretched fingertips, freezing the flames. The elements competed with each other for dominance, and eventually shattered into a million pieces.

"Enough, Tokima. I tire of this." Tsunami's face was still maddeningly calm. She started to gesture with her hand once more, but stopped when the ring she wore glinted in the morning light. Tokima peered at the ring, wondering what trick Tsunami had up her sleeve this time. As far as the dark goddess could tell, the ring was just a bit of bleached wood or possibly bone. There wasn't anything remarkable about it, unless one looked closely at the runes carved into its sides. As Tsunami regarded the ring with a half-smile, the runes began to glow brightly. Tsunami lifted her hand high in the air, and the runes became even more like tiny stars as they gathered energy from the sunlight itself.

"I'd forgotten this," Tsunami murmured quietly. She glanced up at her blonde sister. "Do you know what this is?" she asked kindly. Tokima didn't, but she wouldn't give her sister the satisfaction of saying, 'no'. Tsunami smiled sweetly. "This ring was made for me by a very good friend. I don't think even he understands its true nature, but I do." She brought her hand down to rest at her side, though the ring was still just as bright.

"The people of this planet were strong even before I came, and their ancestors possessed great skills in all manner of things. Their people were rich in magic and spells, and their magi were some of the strongest beings in the galaxy. Some of their knowledge has been lost over the centuries, but a few Jurains can still summon their magic during times of hardship. My friend, Mahonori, is one such man. He can carve spells into any surface, spells with power to rival our own." She shook her head slightly. "I don't know what wizard he is descended from, but he is strong, as this ring is strong."

She pulled the ring off, letting it lay in her palm. Tsunami waved a hand over the ring, chanting spells of her own. Tokima could see the blue-green magic coming from Tsunami's fingers, embedding itself in the runes. Now, the entire ring, not just the symbols, was glowing. Tsunami closed her eyes, letting the spell take its final shape.

Using Tsunami's magic, the ring stretched and spread, losing its old shape. The circle broke, becoming a long whip of power. It strained against Tsunami's grip, struggling to get free. Finally, Tsunami released it, and it lashed out for Tokima. It locked onto Tokima's body, wrapping around her ankles, wrists, and throat. Tokima struggled against it, feeling as though it were sapping her very essence into its glowing coils.

Tsunami watched expressionlessly at the coils stole Tokima's power. The runes became even brighter with every particle of magic that they absorbed. Tokima continued to struggle, though even she knew how futile her movements were. Augmented with Tsunami's magic, this ring was far too powerful for Tokima to fight.

As her last bit of magic disappeared, the coils pulled away from Tokima's body. She collapsed where she was, lacking even the strength with which to stand. The coils that had defeated her circled around her body for a moment, and then darted into the sky above her head. It began to spin, eventually forming the same circle that it had been in earlier. As the coils came together once more, it slowly floated down to Tsunami. As it descended, the ring resumed its previous size, landing with a gentle thud in Tsunami's outstretched hand. The runes along the side continued to glow for a moment, and then abruptly faded away. The ring was once more just a bit of worn bone.

Sasami gazed at the ring for a moment, still unsure of its abilities. She could sense the power within it, and she realized that she'd just picked up another duty. She must keep the ring from the wrong hands. Even now, she felt desire for its power echoing from the far reaches of the galaxy. Soon enough, she would have to deal with these new enemies. But for now, her sister was her only concern.

Sasami walked slowly over to the spot where her sister still lay, crumpled on the ground. Tokima was panting heavily, and Sasami could tell immediately that something was drastically different. Sasami lifted a hand, waving Washu and Kamadake over. The shields around them dropped, and two of the most important people in her life rushed across the labyrinth to stand by her side.

Sasami knelt and carefully lifted Tokima's head. She gasped, seeing for the first time just how different her sister now was. Tokima's hair was still a burnished gold, and she still wore that garishly awful makeup that she was so fond of. Now, though, her face was no longer that of a fully- grown woman. Instead, she resembled a child barely approaching adolescence. Her features were still strong, but her face no longer possessed the driving hatred that had been there for so long. She slept peacefully, face and body calmed. Sasami gestured to Kamadake, who lifted Tokima into his arms. Together, they carried the child back to the palace.


	16. Departure

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Amazingly enough, most of Sasami's friends or family never guessed the impact of what she'd done. They just assumed that she'd been with them in the battle, especially since they'd all seen the Tsunami II zipping through space alongside them. When they congratulated Sasami on her flying, she just smiled cryptically and thanked them. Sasami didn't think they needed to know the truth.

Of her family, only her sister inquired about the slight, blonde child that now followed Sasami everywhere. Sasami only answered that the child, affectionately known as Yugi, was a victim of the battle. Aeka caught the hint and didn't press her sister any more.

The child, herself, tended to make people a little uneasy. They quickly realized that she was just like Sasami, seeing too much with eyes that were just a little too wise. The girl was special, and they were content to leave her under the princess' care. If they thought Yugi's name was a little odd, they didn't mention it. They merely wondered what parent in their right mind would name their daughter after the Jurain word for rebirth.

Besides, the people were still too caught up in the events of the battle to see the child for what she was. One minute, Taki explained with awe, they'd been struggling just to stay alive. The enemy ships were strong, and they'd had strange weapons that the Jurains and cadets simply could not get around. Even after the king relayed his information about the enemy ships, their own forces continued to flounder. Only the strange new satellites kept the enemy from destroying the planet immediately.

Only a few minutes into the battle, however, they'd seen a glittery white light surrounding their foes. Since the light disappeared an instant later, they'd assumed that it was simply another trick. Still, the enemies stopped using their powerful weapons immediately after the light faded. They'd been taken out easily, and the Jurains had won the battle hands down. They hadn't even lost a single fighter. "Truly," Mahonori added, "it was a gift of the gods."

A few days later, Commander Kiyone held a special ceremony honoring the cadets. Each of them, including Sasami and Kamadake, received their commissions. Now a full-fledged officer, Taki had decided to stay on Jurai. The commanders were forming a permanent base on Jurai, and Wyldon was given charge of it. The stern commander had decided that he liked the planet, and he'd offered to take Taki on as his assistant. Taki, of course, was overjoyed. If he was smart enough, he'd be able to take over when Wyldon retired. For a miner's son, it was the chance of a lifetime.

Even Prince Dael had decided to stay. He announced one morning that Sasami's father had offered to train him to be a true monarch. In spite of this tremendous generosity, Sasami suspected that Dael's decision had more to do with the pretty court ladies than a desire to be a better ruler. She was grateful, though, that Dael would not be a king like his own father. Under her father's tutelage, Dael would become an able and fair ruler.

Mahonori had also chose to remain on Jurai. Realizing just how useful the former thief's skills were, he'd been asked to join the knighthood. The training would take years, and Sasami was sad to say good- bye to her oldest friend. To show her that he would be well cared for, Mahonori explained that Kamadake was going to be his trainer and partner. As they said farewell for the last time, Sasami hugged her friend tightly. "Take care of yourself, Maho."

He grinned. "I will. But, hey, my name's not Mahonori anymore. I've decided that Maho was the name of a thief. I am now a knight-in-training, so call me Azaka. It means, "'Brave and intelligent soul' in old Jurain."

Sasami laughed. "Who told you that?" she asked curiously.

Azake shrugged. "Kamadake. He said the name was perfect for me."

Sasami laughed even harder. "That's because it really means "˜fool who doesn't shut up in the face of danger'."

Azaka's face fell momentarily, and then suddenly brightened again. "That's okay, too, I guess."

Sasami's parting from Aeka was much more painful. Her sister didn't understand why Sasami had to leave, even though Sasami tried repeatedly to explain. Finally, she gave up and just embraced her sister. "Say good-bye to father and the queens for me, sister mine. And have lots of babies by the time I get back."

Aeka wiped away a tear. "Won't I see you again?" she asked in a tiny voice.

Sasami clucked her gently under the chin. "Sure you will. I'll visit you every night. We still have the dream-world, remember?"

With one final hug, Sasami climbed into her ship. Using her skills, Washu had enlarged the cabin, making enough room for several dozen people without actually altering the size of the ship. She and Yugi were playing cards below. With a nod in Aeka's direction, Sasami started her ship. She left the purple planet behind, knowing that it would be many decades, possibly even centuries, before she returned.

VenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurfVenusSmurf

A few months later, Sasami and her two sisters were relaxing on a small resort planet a few thousand light years from Jurai. After much consideration, the three of them had decided to postpone their tour of the galaxy until they'd had a proper vacation. Since Sasami had plenty of Jurain credits saved up, they checked into one of the best hotels on the planet.

In spite of all this luxury, Sasami was fairly miserable. She wasn't enjoying her holiday as much as she should have. Though she knew, of course, that she couldn't possibly return home just yet, she still missed her family dreadfully. Still, it was comforting that her sisters were getting along so well. Washu had completely forgiven Tokima's actions, and Yugi was a wonderful companion. She wasn't quite like the old Tokima, but she also lacked the insanity that had precipitated all of their struggles. She was a sweet child, if a little unnerving at times.

Sasami finally stood, waving to her sister that she'd be back in a few minutes. Washu nodded and went back to nursing her drink, and Yugi ran to the resort pool for another swim.

Sasami wandered into the hotel gardens. These gardens were as unlike Jurai's as they could possibly be, and Sasami found the difference appealing. Jurai's beds had been meticulously cared for. Everything had its place, even the plants. Here, though, the gardens were haphazard, unorganized and wild. Sasami sighed, wondering if she were always going to compare each new sight with something on Jurai.

After a few moments, Sasami turned back to the pool. Yugi tended to panic if Sasami were gone too long, and Sasami didn't want her sister to worry. As she approached the pool, she spotted Washu talking eagerly with a young, redheaded man.

Sasami stopped in her tracks, and her heart ceased to beat for a long moment. _It couldn't be,_ she thought in shock. "Kamadake?" she whispered, though she was still too far away for him to hear.

The man, however, did turn immediately around, as if sensing her presence. He grinned widely, and his purple eyes lit up.

Suddenly, Sasami was running to him. He stood, and Washu slipped discreetly away. The man didn't move, but Sasami threw her arms around him anyway. His own arms came around to circle her shoulder, and he whispered her name with such love that Sasami started to cry.

"Shhh, princess," Kamadake murmured into her hair. "Don't cry. I'm here."

Sasami lifted her tear-stained face to gaze at his, and the look of longing in her eyes gave him all the answer that he needed. He surprised them both by kissing her, hard. When he finally pulled away, Sasami continued to stare at him. "What are you doing here?" she breathed happily.

He smiled down at her, jerking his head briefly towards the pool. Sasami glanced over his shoulder, equally surprised to see Azaka playing with Yugi and Washu in the water. "I couldn't get him to concentrate on his training; he was too worried about the three of you. He kept saying that you couldn't look after yourself properly, and that you couldn't keep out of trouble if your life depended on it." He smiled again. "I finally gave up and brought him to you. Princess Aeka told us where you were, and I figured that I could train the 'fool who doesn't shut up in the face of danger' just as easily here as on Jurai."

He gazed at her, purple eyes intense. "Do you think we could stay awhile, Sasami?" he asked seriously.

She grinned, whispering, "I think we can manage." She buried her fingers in his hair and kissed him again, much to the enjoyment of the three people watching from the water.


	17. Sequel

A.N. Just for everyone's information, I've started the sequel to 'Space Cadet'. It's called "Space Cadet II" (How's that for an original title?), and it can be found under a.) the anime crossover section, or b.) on my author's page. It's still mostly about Tenchi characters, but I've added a few Sailor Moon people as well. My plan is to eventually write a third story that will probably be mostly SM. Even if you hate SM, please read it. I just hope it's not as serious as the first story! 


End file.
